The Different Dimensions of Magic
by Dingdong250
Summary: The corpses of Link and Zelda tumble out of the Mirror of Erised and are happened upon by Dumbledore. Kept alive by the strange Timeshift stone that appeared with them, the two are welcomed into Hogwarts to investigate their deaths. They pose as transfer students, juggling the task of watching over a few students, and discovering the events that led up to their demise. Year 5
1. Chapter 1

**This is a rewrite (ish). A sudden plot bunny jumped into my head when I was on the bus today, and I couldn't get rid of it. It's also like ten times more creative then my lame ass reasoning in the first version of it. This felt like a better way to tie together to two different worlds, but it still has most of the main elements from my original idea. The next few chapters will have little to no changes. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Harry Potter and the Legend of Zelda belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter One

Dumbledore felt like taking a stroll inside the castle. Long since finished with whatever paperwork that had sat on his desk, he had quite a bit of time to clear his mind. Adjusting his robes and long white beard as he walked, it was not long until he ended up outside the chamber holding the Mirror of Erised.

_I usually end up here, _he thought,_ it's a wonder as to why we still keep it._ He made his way down, carefully stepping inside room and surveyed its interior. The mirror had been moved back to its original location after the whole fiasco with Quirrel and Voldemort, and it had stayed there ever since.

He moved towards it, carefully averting his eyes as he neared it. His old, gnarly hands gently caressed its golden outlining, and he finally gave in. Looking at the clear surface, he could see nothing.

_Strange,_ he thought, peering deeper into the mirror. The glass reflected only light. Taking a step back, he paused. What was wrong?

Suddenly, there was a small flash of light. Dumbledore shielded his eyes with a hand, barely able to make out the green and blue colored burst of brightness. Two objects tumbled towards a halt in front of him, and his breath hitched.

Staring up at him, were two lifeless corpses.

[xxxxxxxxxxx]

Dumbledore crept forward. Although not a stranger to death, the sight of two bodies would make anyone uncomfortable. He knelt in between the two, and noticed that their hands were joined; a final action of unity, and maybe, even affection.

His eyes softened at the two, whose bodies had shown that they had yet to fully reach adulthood. They had one necklace looped around both of their necks, and a softly glowing jewel was hung onto it. Dumbledore picked it up, studying it with curiosity and caution. It pulsed gently, and the old headmaster dropped it in surprise.

It smacked onto the hard stone floor, and a soft clicking noise was heard. The stone turned bright blue, and a flash of light filled the room. Picking himself up from where he had fallen, Dumbledore looked warily at the stone again, and then blinked in surprise.

The area surrounding the jewel was different. The stone bricks that made up the floor looked newer than the ones surrounding it, and were void of any cracks and chips that were there previously. He glanced at the two corpses, and his eyes widened. In the skeleton's places, lay two perfectly intact bodies, both of which showed clear signs of life. Their chests rose and fell; however broken it might have sounded.

The boy, who was clad in muted green had wounds covering almost every inch of his body. His clothes projected an odd palette, with the red from his blood and the normal green mixing together to form a muddy brown. He had a sword strapped to his back, and a worn out shield fixed over it. There was a large dent on the shields blue surface, and the strange design on it also stood out.

The girl wore a dress, which was heavily torn, and its fine, silken material was caked with blood. She did not appear to be as deeply wounded as her companion, but there were couple severe looking injuries lacing throughout her body. She wore a golden diadem, and here brown hair was tied up regally. The girl was obviously of high status.

_They resemble elves, with such pointy ears,_ he thought.

Snapping out of his musings, Dumbledore quickly lifted the two with a flick of his wand, and he waved them forward. Only just remembering the peculiar stone, he stopped himself, as well as the two levitating bodies. They were barely out of the little circle of magic projected by the stone, and the feet on the boy turned back to bone, clattering loudly against the floor.

Dumbledore's mind raced, thoughts muddled as he tried to wrap his head around the peculiar jewel. Oddly, he showed no physical changes when he was near it.

Picking up the stone gingerly, he gently looped it back around both their necks, and placed a floating spell onto it as well, lest he accidentally strangle the two. He carried them to the Hospital Wing, where they would be left to the tender care of Madam Pomfrey, who let out a startled gasp at the sight of them.

"Whatever you do, _keep this stone near them_, otherwise they will die," Dumbledore said quietly, setting the stone on the table in between the beds. Poppy nodded solemnly, and immediately began to work. The nurse let her eyes linger on their appearances, before bustling off to where her medical supplies were kept.

"I will be at the library, Poppy. I need to do some research," Dumbledore called, eyes twinkling with excitement. He rushed off after giving a long look at the two unconscious teens lying in the beds.

* * *

Link slowly opened his eyes, quite sure that he was somewhere in the afterlife. He felt the soft comforters around him, the quite sounds of someone breathing, and a dull ache all around his body. His vision cleared up, and he turned his head to the left, where he saw the sleeping face of his princess, Zelda.

He gasped, and sat up quickly, before flinching at the sudden pain jolting throughout his body, and he winced. That caught the attention of the other woman in the room. She hurried towards him, and laid a hand on his back, gently guiding him back down onto the soft mattress.

"Hush dear, you need to rest. Your friend will be alright," she said soothingly. The wrinkles on her face being more pronounced as she smiled. Link relaxed, but he still shot a worried glance to Zelda.

"You can call me Madam Pomfrey," she continued. "I'm the matron of this school." Link looked confused.

"School?" he asked, voice still a bit hoarse. Madam Pomfrey opened her mouth, but was interrupted by a soft cough coming from Zelda. The nurse rushed over to Zelda's side, and coaxed some medicine into her throat.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, school for witchcraft and wizardry," said a new voice. Link turned around, and saw an old man, sporting dark robes, and a long, white beard. He wore half-moon glasses, and his eyes twinkled mysteriously.

"I'm Dumbledore, the headmaster of this school," the old man said. He had a pleasant smile on his face, and an aura that made Link want to trust him. "Who are you?"

"…I'm Link," he said hesitantly. Zelda was sitting up now, and was studying the man with interest.

"I'm Zelda Harkinian," she said politely. Link saw that she was wearing a white nightgown, and looked down to find that he had also gained a new outfit. It was a loose white shirt, with dark gray pants coming down to his shins. He decided against questioning it.

"I stumbled across you two this morning, and you were both seriously wounded. Might I ask what happened?" Dumbledore asked lightly. It was only them now, as Madam Pomfrey had left to give them some privacy.

Link shut his eyes tightly, and he took a deep breath.

"…I don't remember." Link forced out, gritting his teeth. Zelda shook her head, a pained expression on her face. "There are only bits, and they're all really blurred. There's no conclusion to draw from it."

"I see." Dumbledore dipped his head, eyes closed. "When you are fully healed, I shall explain the condition in which you were found. For now, please rest. Hogwarts has more than enough to accommodate you two." His tone was light, but there was a deeper emotion buried underneath it.

Link and Zelda exchanged looks, but they nodded.

"Thank you," said Zelda gratefully.

"Not a problem, my dear," said Dumbledore, winking. He bade them farewell, and Link and Zelda were left on their own.

"You don't remember either?" Link said quietly. Zelda shook her head.

"Nothing that makes sense," Zelda replied, placing her head in her heads. "They're all indistinct, and I can't tell what's happening either."

Link said nothing, only retreating further back into his covers.

* * *

It took them a week to fully heal; their recovery only sped up with the aid of Madam Pomfrey and the many potions that she fed them. They stood in Dumbledore's office, quietly taking in the odd design of his workplace. They had started when the portraits in the room started moving, and their incredulity only grew as the other oddities in the room made themselves known.

"All portraits in the Wizarding world move. They can talk as well," said Dumbledore, amused. He ushered them into seats.

"Lemon drops?" Zelda politely declined, while Link shrugged. He took one and popped it into his mouth. His face puckered up, and Zelda giggled.

"Your stay here was comfortable, I hope," began Dumbledore. "It is important that I inform you of the circumstances of your revival."

Link looked at him with interest, still sucking on the sweet.

Dumbledore relayed the events of what happened a week ago to them; adding a grim flourish to each detail.

"-your corpses tumbled out of the Mirror of Erised," he said gravely, eyes closed.

Link choked on the lemon drop, beating his fist on his chest. He swallowed it gingerly, and looked up at Dumbledore, alarmed. Zelda also stiffened, and gazed at the headmaster, urging for him to continue.

"Your skeletons were lying on the floor," he said grimly. "There was a necklace looped around both your necks, and it was a dull purple when I first saw it."

"Necklace?" said Zelda curiously. Dumbledore nodded.

"I picked it up, but I dropped it in surprise when it started pulsing. It hit the floor, and a flash of light filled the room. The area surrounding the stone seemed to have reverted back to the past, and your bodies as of now are being sustained by the stone, I suspect," said Dumbledore solemnly.

Link sat upright, eyes wide as he processed the words of the Headmaster.

"W-what color was the stone after it hit the floor?" said Zelda shakily, her eyes wide. Dumbledore looked at her curiously.

"A light blue, why?" he answered, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Zelda breathed in deeply, casting her eyes down towards the floor. "From what you have told me, I believe we have stumbled across a Timeshift stone." The name sounded unfamiliar to Link, and he combed his brain, unsure if he had heard it before.

"I've read about it in the castle library, and the ore was said to have disappeared near the Gerudo Desert. The last time anyone ever saw or heard about it was during the Hero of the Sky's era," Zelda explained. Her brow was furrowed and she was twirling a strand of hair.

"The Gerudo Desert is barren. Except for the Arbiter's Grounds and the Bulblin camp, there is nothing," informed Link, recalling the hot, empty wasteland to the west. Zelda set an index on her chin, but did not answer.

"You cannot remember what the cause of your deaths were right?" inquired Dumbledore. The two Hylians shook their head.

"Only fragments," Zelda mumbled, frustrated. Dumbledore nodded consolingly in their direction.

"Hopefully, your memory will be restored with the aid of time," assured Dumbledore. "But there is something that needs to be done first."

"What is it?" asked Link. Dumbledore flicked his wand, and a glowing blue stone appeared. Link and Zelda jumped.

"Sorry, you must not be that accustomed with magic, huh?" Dumbledore apologized.

Zelda shook her head. "Not this kind."

"I've kept it by your side the entire time," said Dumbledore. "If you are out of the stone's reach, then you two will turn back into corpses." Link shuddered slightly.

"It will be difficult to encircle you both at the same time, so I thought it would be best to split it into two," decided Dumbledore.

"That would be best," agreed Zelda. Dumbledore waved his wand again, and the stone divided into two small roughly shaped jewels, each the size of a penny. They fell into Link and Zelda's outstretched palms. Dumbledore smiled as he held up two strings up.

"To tie it up, that is if you need it." He smiled kindly.

"Thank you," said Zelda, taking one. Link politely declined.

"Speaking of this stone, I do believe that I am able to manipulate its reach, and make it so that it wraps around you, as long as you keep it on your person," said Dumbledore, stroking his beard. The jewels floated up once again, and the headmaster thought for a while before pointing his wand at it.

The stones showed no physical changes, but Link and Zelda instantly felt better as the jewels were in their grasp again.

"Ah, this feels much better. Felt like I was moving like an old man before," said Link, stretching his arms. "No offense," he added hurriedly, looking at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore chuckled. "None taken."

Dumbledore then stood up, and brushed off the invisible dust on his robes.

"Now then, you should go on back to the hospital wing. Poppy will throw a fit if she finds out you're not there," said Dumbledore happily. "Until Poppy deems you healthy, I'm afraid you're still considered invalids."

Link and Zelda nodded, and they got to their feet as well.

"All of your items and gear are stored with Poppy, just ask if you wish to see them again," Dumbledore added.

"Thank you very much, for taking care of us and everything," said Zelda sincerely, dipping her head. Link followed her example. Dumbledore chortled.

"T'was not a problem, my dears."

The two Hylians walked down the spiral staircase from the headmaster's office, and began making their way towards the hospital wing. This was the first time they'd wandered the halls alone.

"Link?" said Zelda suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Does this place look familiar to you?" she said, studying the walls and the various décor as they walked.

"Hm." They continued in silence.

* * *

**So that's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it (and if it was better than my old crappy one). Since this story before only had a few chapters, me changing the plot at the beginning should affect little to nothing, so rest assured. Just ignore me if you haven't read the original one. **

**Anyway, please review!**

**Thank you,**

**Doodle**


	2. Chapter 2

**Good day to you all! I was worried about the length of the first chapter; otherwise I would've included the Harry Potter characters as well. **

**(Revised)**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing**

**Thanks to Yuyake no Okami, XHikariSoraX, and Arnia the fox for following or adding a favorite to this story. I saw the update email at school and I couldn't stop grinning during class. This site is going to be the end of me.**

**Yuyake no Okami: Thanks for the review! I appreciated the comments you made, and I went back and fixed some things. I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw that this story had a review, heh heh.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Link and Zelda spent the majority of their stay at the library and the hospital wing under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey. Zelda searched through countless books, but to no avail. Link was not one for reading, so he stayed quietly by her side, lounging around with obvious boredom.

It was only a few days after their talk with Dumbledore, but they had been told by the matron that the headmaster wanted to see them again.

The gargoyle was sitting to the side when they arrived, and the two stepped up the winding staircase.

"Ah, welcome," greeted Dumbledore, eyes twinkling as he looked up from his desk. He swept the paperwork aside, and gestured for them to sit down. Link plopped into a chair, and folded his arms expectantly.

"So, what did you call us for?" said Link casually, turning the Timeshift stone around in his hands.

Dumbledore laced his fingers together and smiled. "I believe I have a proposal that both of you will approve of. You wish to learn about your demise, do you not?"

"Yes," Zelda confirmed. "I believe that the circumstances of our deaths were too illogical. This world here is obviously set in the future, considering our point of view, and it would make sense to assume that we died of old age or something. However none of our current memories show anything like that."

"I would've remembered getting married and having kids or something. Plus the Timeshift stones reverted us back to the age we died," added Link.

Zelda pulled on a lock of hair. "From what I remember, there was nothing that could've posed an immediate threat to both of us in Hyrule, and there are too many inconsistencies with what we remember, and what actually happened."

"Memories are not difficult things to manipulate," began Dumbledore. "However, you said our magic does not exist in your world, yes?"

Zelda nodded. "The concept of magic is well-known, however it's actual existence is only known by a few."

"Hmm…" said Dumbledore, combing a hand through his long beard. "Do inform more about your kind of magic, I can't say I'm not curious."

"It is a very rare practice, and only few know of its existence. Even fewer can use it. Although it's relatively unknown, the many races of Hyrule all have magic geared towards a specific element. The Zoras for example, the people of the water, are excellent at controlling water and ice, and so on," Zelda explained. "Usually only aristocrats and mages high up in the social ladder have been known to use it, and even then it's usually in private. All Hylians however, hold a certain amount of magic in them, of which will probably never be awakened in their lifetime."

"You two, I assume, have come in contact with it at least once, no?" said Dumbledore.

"The females of the Royal Family all have had a large magical core inside them; I am no exception," said Zelda, her eyes bright. She looked at Link.

"I'm just a simple goatherd," Link said flatly. "But magic was a key element during my quest. I'd heard about it some years ago, though." Dumbledore nodded.

"Wonderful," chimed Dumbledore, his expression inviting. "So then, how would you like to study at Hogwarts? The magic community makes up only a small portion of this world's population, but I'm sure that our school would be most helpful with your goal. The library and professors are at your disposal." A small frown suddenly crept up his face. "But it would not do to start school so late at your age. I believe you should be around your late teens?"

"I'm seventeen, and Zelda's eighteen," Link responded. Dumbledore pushed up his spectacles.

"I do not think it would be wise to start at the last year with so little knowledge. Why not turn back the clock to fifteen? You would begin at the fifth year," Dumbledore suggested, and a small look of surprise flashed on both the Hylian's faces.

"You can do that?" both answered at the same time.

"Why of course, a simple de-aging potion should do the trick. I shall ask Severus to brew up a couple bottles." He began jotting down some notes, oblivious to the questioning looks the Hylians shot at him.

"Sir, but why fifteen? Wouldn't eleven be more appropriate, since that's when school starts right?" Zelda questioned, a bit curious with what Dumbledore seemed to be planning.

"I assume you are more advanced than that," said Dumbledore, amused. "While I dearly wish to help you, there have been some problems popping up in our world; all of which can not go unnoticed for too long."

"What do you mean?" asked Link.

"A problem we thought we'd dealt with already is beginning to rise again," said Dumbledore, his eyes shut. "It's been a decade since the dark wizard, Voldemort was defeated, yet he rose up from the ashes, and now his goals..." he paused. "Let's just say they mean harm to pretty much everyone."

"What's this have to do with us?" asked Link warily.

"In Hogwarts, there are multitudes of different students, and each glow with their own unique light. Some few shine so brightly, that they serve as beacons for trouble," Dumbledore said cryptically. "Voldemort views some of them as obstacles in his path to power, and their curiosity for the unknown only sends out a brighter flare to the wicked.

"There are four different houses in this school, and unfortunately, two of the houses have become head locked in a rivalry that started many years ago. The students I mentioned before are in said houses, and they can't seem to get along. I thought you might like to know that before hand," Dumbledore went on, his tone light.

"We'll do it," said Zelda firmly, "I don't think we will get an opportunity like this again. We can kill two birds with one stone."

"Ah yes, but before that, we must do something about your appearance."

* * *

Facing a brick wall, Dumbledore tapped a pattern onto its surface, and it opened up, giving the three a view of a busy street.

_Whoa, that's freakin' cool, _Link thought, staring with an open mouth at the strange sight.

"What kind of currency do you use? Assuming that you have some with you," Dumbledore suddenly asked, glancing at the two Hylians. Link dug around in his small pouch, pulling out a wallet twice its size. He took out a couple glittering gems.

"Rupees. Green is worth one, blue is five, and red is twenty. There are more valuable ones, but they're quite rare," Link said, showing him the small mineral like money.

"Most definitely not from India indeed," Dumbledore chuckled. He turned and began heading to a white, multistoried building not far from them.

_India?_ _Probably a place or something,_ Link mused, as he and Zelda walked behind the old headmaster. The place they had just stepped into was known as Gringotts, a bank where witches and wizards stored their money and treasures, Dumbledore had said. They could exchange their money here.

"They've probably never seen rupees before, so they might assume them to be valuable gems of sorts," Dumbledore explained, turning his head towards the line of goblins hunched over working at their desks. The goblin working at the front (back?) of the bank dipped his head respectfully when the headmaster walked forward.

"Do you wish to access your vault?" asked the goblin, his hand beginning to reach for something.

"Not today. I wish to exchange some gems into money." Dumbledore motioned to Link, and he pulled out his wallet again. Taking out a couple green and blue rupees, he gently dumped them onto the counter. The goblin carefully took a few and examined them under a magnifying glass.

"I can give five galleons for the green ones and ten for the blue ones. I'm a bit curious, where did you find these?" The question was directed at Link.

"I-uh, I was cutting some grass, and uh, they just dropped out." Slightly panicking on the inside, it was the only thing that had come to mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he could hear and see Zelda let out a not so very lady-like snicker. He groaned inwardly.

The goblin gave him an unconvinced look. "Moving on then, how many would you like to exchange?"

Link took out a handful, this time with the red ones scattered in there as well.

* * *

"Man, we are loaded!" Link said happily as he shook the extra wallet filled with Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. Zelda let out a small giggle and he turned to face her.

"Put that away before we get robbed," she said. "And really Link? Cutting grass was the best thing you could think of?" Another giggle.

"I panicked! And I did get a lot of rupees by chopping around the bushes and tall grass," he defended, a bit indignant. Dumbledore smiled at their conversation, and began leading them down the alley into another building. This time it looked like a tailors.

"Now then, we need to get you guys some wizard robes. The normal clothes can wait." Dumbledore said, walking into the shop.

"Why, Dumbledore, it's been a while since I last saw you!" A stout, friendly woman dressed in mauve greeted them. "It's been a while since you came for robes, so I'm assuming it's for those two youngsters behind you." The two Hylians smiled at her.

"Whoever wants to come first, just follow me," Madam Malkins said, trotting over to the other side of the store.

"Well, ladies first," Link grinned cheekily. Zelda shot him a small glare before heading towards the seamstress. She stood on a small platform, and stood still as Madam Malkins took her measurements. After all, she did this a lot when she needed to be fit for new dresses. Zelda looked at her feet. Since they had drank the potions that Dumbledore had provided them, their ears had shrunk until they were round, but still a bit pointy, and they had both decreased in height as well. Link however, was still taller than her. Over the course of his adventure, as well as the time spent after it, he had shot up like a weed, and now stood a few inches taller. They had changed into clothes that fit the norm here, with Link in his regular white shirt and jeans (conjured up by Dumbledore) and Zelda in a purple blouse and white skirt.

It did not take long for Link to be fitted, although he was a bit more fidgety. And soon enough, they were walking out with new robes in their bags. (Link shoved his in his enormously small pouch.)

"There's just one last thing that we need to do before we're done, and that is for you to get wands." Dumbledore said, "We're going to Ollivander's."

"So how do we get wands anyway, do we just pick one out and buy it?" Link asked. Dumbledore eyes twinkled.

"It is the wand that chooses its owner."

* * *

The door creaked as it was opened. An old man with gravity defying white hair looked up.

"Customers, eh? Looking for wands I see." The old man had an eccentric feel to him, almost like a toned down version of Dumbledore's. He nodded in greeting towards Dumbledore.

"Hello, Ollivander," Dumbledore said, "these two are new to our magic, and require wands, as you may have guessed."

"Well, this is a wand store after all," replied Ollivander, and Dumbledore gave a small laugh. Whirling around to face Link, the wand maker asked him for his dominant arm, and Link held up his left arm. Ollivander took out his measuring tape and held it against the appendage, before immediately making his way across the narrow shop to where the wall holding all the petite boxes was. He took a wand out, and handed it to Link.

"Give it a swish," Ollivander told Link, and the young man did so.

The wand snapped in half.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**This seemed like a good part to end it, and the ole' cliffy always works. I apologize. Anyway, I will start working on the next chapter immediately. **

**Please review, that would be awesome! **

**Peace,**

**Doodle**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello there! If you read through the first two chapters again, you might notice a few changes. They're not that big, but still. I like to reread my stories on different devices so that I can pick out mistakes, and boy did I make a lot of them. Again, feel free to let me know if you see any, or want to comment about my poor writing skills or whatever. Oh yeah, I swear this one will be a lot longer too. Also, you've probably noticed the cover picture. It took me a super long time 'cause the first one had ink spilt onto it, and I couldn't get Zelda right. By the way, the picture shows their appearances for this story. **

**(Revised)**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

**Thanks to SkaianClouds, Kazekage13, NoxTheShadowWolf, omaiga, sephchipmunk, and redcake11 for the follow/fave. **

**And without further ado,**

* * *

Chapter 3

Link stared at the broken wand in his hand, terror rushing through his body as he shifted his eyes onto Ollivander, silently gauging for a reaction. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his hand glow slightly under his glove. He ignored it.

_He's going to break me in half!_ Link inwardly quivered, already picturing the carnage of what would be left of him after the old man was through with him. Instead, Ollivander had taken on an excited expression.

"Curious. Curious indeed. It's been a while since one of my wands broke like that. Pity, it was a nice one too. Holly and unicorn, I believe." Ollivander muttered, taking one last look at Link before going back to the shelves on the walls. "Hmmm, maybe this would do?"

He took out another one, before shaking his head and putting it back. The process repeated for a while before he let out a small triumphant 'aha!' He pushed the wand into Link's hand, telling him to flick it again. Link did so, and a tiny wave of green glitter sprinkled out.

"Yes, I thought it should work. This wand is made of oak and phoenix feather. But inside it holds a small piece of Ordon goat horn. An extremely rare find, that is." Ollivander stated, "the horn inside helps it absorb great amounts of magic."

Link blinked in surprise at the mention of the goats indigenous to only his home village, but waved it off for later. He would cross that bridge when he got there.

Link gave an experimental swish to it, and a couple boxes fell out of the shelves. He lowered it sheepishly, but Ollivander carried on.

This wand is twelve centimeters, and rather stiff, so it should be quite strong and active, and very suitable for battle. Transfiguration is another one of its strong points too," Ollivander finished, his eyes shining brightly.

"About that broken-" Link offered, but was cut off by the wand maker.

"No need. It was not your fault, and I dare say, I'm a bit intrigued as to why it snapped," Ollivander said, "perhaps an excessive amount of magic?"

Link shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." He heard Zelda clear her throat, and he stepped back.

"Oh yes, which one is your dominant arm?" Zelda held up her right arm, and Ollivander quickly pulled out the measuring tape again. Repeating what he had done with Link, the old wand maker pulled out another wand and handed it to Zelda. She waved it instinctively, and the window cracked and broke. She let out a surprised gasp, but Ollivander merely took the wand out of her grasp and replaced it with another one.

"This usually happens," Dumbledore piped up from where he was standing. Zelda nodded, and hesitantly gave it a swish. The spindly chair sitting in the corner split in two. Without missing a beat, Ollivander switched it with yet another wand.

"Third time's the charm," Link encouraged, and Zelda flicked it with a bit more enthusiasm. Purple sparks rained down, and she beamed.

"Ah yes, your wand's made with unicorn hair, and the wood was willow, I believe," Ollivander informed, "nine inches, and its specialty is charms and illusions, though it has little use in battle. However, while its offense might be weak, it focuses more on defense and quite apt with healing too."

Zelda looked content with her wand, and tucked it away.

"So in total, the price of both the wands should be fourteen galleons," Ollivander said. Link stuck his hand into his wallet and pulled out twenty-one.

"I feel pretty bad for snapping that other wand…" he said, sheepishly pressing the money onto the wand maker's hand. Ollivander only shook his head.

_Plus we're rich_, he thought slyly as he held out the money.

"Don't fret, this is not the first time it has happened, though the money is appreciated," Ollivander finished with a crooked grin. They left the store, bidding the shopkeeper farewell, and stepped back onto the alley, looking at Dumbledore for their next game plan.

"There are still your textbooks and clothes left, but I can handle them later. I'm sure you are feeling quite beat, no?" Dumbledore observed.

"Shopping is hard work," Link groaned, and Zelda prodded him in the side.

"Oh? Has the great Hero of Twilight been felled by such menial tasks?" she teased.

"Oh I don't know, the majestic princess of Hyrule looks just as worn-out. I think I just might have to take over all her princess duties and crown myself king before she passes out," Link shot back, adding dramatic movements to his speech. Zelda snorted in response, and he laughed.

Dumbledore spoke up, "Now then, I advise you to hold onto my arms. I will show you to where you're staying." He extended both arms. The two Hylians, a bit confused, lightly grabbed an arm. Link was about to open his mouth in question, but a sudden feeling knocked the breath straight out of him. In a split second, their surroundings had changed from the busy alley to a series of large apartment style houses.

"Welcome to 12 Grimmauld Place. Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, and your temporary home," Dumbledore said cheerfully. He walked up the row of houses, passing each one until he was between eleven and thirteen.

"But sir, twelve's not here," Zelda noticed, counting the houses once more just in case.

"It's there. Just think about what I've just told you," Dumbledore said quietly. They shut their eyes for a second, and a door appeared. "It's protected by a Fidelius charm, so it's invisible, intangible, and unplottable." **(1) **

"Damn," Link muttered.

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied. "Headquarters is mostly occupied by the Weasley family, as well as Sirius Black, the owner of the place. I have already sent a letter explaining to them the reason of your presence. I take it that you don't want them to know of your origins?"

"Yes, it would be best. But they can know if they have to," Zelda confirmed.

"Very well then. Follow me," Dumbledore hummed. He moved towards the door, and the two hurried after him. They were welcomed in by a plump, red haired woman who shot them warm but curious glances.

"Hello Albus! It's been quite a while since you last stopped by," the woman cheerfully said.

"Good seeing you, Molly. I would love to stay and chat, but it's about that message I sent you earlier today," Dumbledore admitted.

"Ah yes! I received it, and it will be no problem! The more the merrier right? And this decrepit house has more than enough room to accommodate two more," she stated warmly. Addressing the two Hylians, she said, "I'll show you to your rooms, but for now just hang back a little. Do you have any luggage?" They nodded, and Dumbledore conjured up two suitcases. They had shoved all of their belongings in there before they entered. Molly, or whatever her name was, waved her wand, and the luggage floated upstairs. While already fairly used to magic, Link had forgotten how much of a staple it was to these people's lives.

"You can call me Mrs. Weasley," she continued, "what are your names?"

"I'm Link, and this is Zelda," Link replied. It was only minutes after meeting her, but he was already beginning to like her. She emitted the same kind of motherly feeling not unlike that of Telma or Uli. After exchanging a few words with the headmaster, she led them to a room near the stairs.

"I hope you don't mind but, you'll have to share with the other kids here," Mrs. Weasley apologized, looking slightly sheepish. "This will be Zelda's room, and you'll be sharing with my daughter Ginny and Hermione, a friend."

"I don't mind, it's wonderful enough that you are allowing us to stay," Zelda said graciously.

"My, so polite," Mrs. Weasley smiled. She then took them upstairs, pointing towards another room. "Link, this is your room. My son Ron and his friend Harry are staying here too."

"Thank you very much," Link said. He walked into the room, and saw a boy with red hair shuffling around his school supplies. He did not appear to notice Link's presence, so he cleared his throat. The red-head jumped up.

"Bloody hell! You scared me! Ah, you must be the kid mum said would be staying here. I'm Ron Weasley." Ron extended his hand, and Link shook it. "My friend who's also rooming with us is not here yet, but he should arrive later tonight."

Link nodded, "So what were you doing before I came in here," he asked, gesturing to the fussed up supplies. Ron scratched the back of his neck.

"Well you see, Mum was complaining about how messy I was, and made me organize everything, otherwise I would be setting a bad example for you guys."

Link inclined his head with understanding. Rusl always had some kind of comment in store for him whenever he visited his tree house.

"I feel you, bro."

* * *

Zelda entered the room, and saw two girls chatting quietly between two beds. They looked up as she came in, and both pasted welcoming smiles on their faces.

"Mum told us you would be staying here. I'm Ginny Weasley, and that's Hermione over there," the red haired girl said. The bushy haired girl waved as her name was mentioned.

Zelda dipped her head, "It's nice to meet you. I hope that it won't be too much trouble with me and Link here." Ginny only laughed.

"Wow, you're so formal! But you don't have to be. We're all like family. Sort of," She finished with a grin, and Zelda instantly relaxed. She saw Hermione stand up.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, but I've got to talk to Ron about something," Hermione said, "Harry should be on his way here."

"Could I come with you? I would like to talk to Link, and also meet this Ron fellow," Zelda asked.

"Of course." Hermione tiptoed past a pair of long, moth-eaten drapes. Zelda glanced curiously at it, but followed the other girl's example. "There's a painting of the previous owner of this house under those curtains. She was Sirius' mother. You have to be quiet or else you'll awaken it, then the whole place will be filled with her screeches," the bushy haired girl said.

"Couldn't you just remove the painting?" Hermione shook her head.

"It's magically fixed onto that wall. A permanent sticking charm," she explained. They went up the flight of stairs, and Zelda could only stare at the oddities hung up on the wall. Walking into a room, she saw a boy about her age with the same colored hair as Ginny conversing with Link.

"This is Zelda, the other transfer student," Hermione said as she gestured towards her. Zelda gave a small wave of her hand. Ron nodded in greeting. "About Harry's arrival…" The rest of their conversation was tuned out by the two Hylians.

"I remember something…" whispered Link. "We left to go somewhere…and you said we'd be gone for a while." Zelda looked thoughtful, and then nodded.

"Yes, what of it?" she said.

"Who was it that you left in charge back at the castle?" asked Link.

"I've left my most trusted advisors in charge. The Royal Council can barely handle their jobs, let alone the entire country of Hyrule" she joked. Ron, overhearing the part about Hyrule piped up,

"What's Hyrule?" But before Zelda could sputter out an answer, they heard the door open and a chatter of voices. Hermione looked excitedly at Ron.

"Harry's here!" she exclaimed. They heard Mrs. Weasley speaking with someone, before hurrying back down the stairs. A boy with tussled black hair and emerald green eyes walked in. He didn't make it far before Hermione had thrown herself at him.

* * *

(There will be parts taken straight out of the book)

"Harry! Ron, he's here, Harry's here! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless-but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us-the dementors! When we heard-and that ministry hearing-it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, and they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening-situations-"

"Let him breathe," Ron grinned. To Harry, it looked like he got grown a couple of inches, making him more gangly then ever. Hermione, still beaming, let go of Harry, but before she could say another word, he heard a soft whooshing sound, and a blur of white gently landed on his shoulder.

"Hedwig!"

"She's been in a right state," said Ron, "pecked us half to death when she came to deliver your last letters." He held up his index fingers, showing him a clear but deep cut.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," Harry said, "but I wanted answers…" Then he noticed the two other figures in the room. His eyes caught the girl first, easily noticing her beauty. She had icy blue eyes, bordering silver that gleamed with intelligence, and her long hazelnut colored hair flowed loosely to the center of her back, before ending in a small braid. Most of her bangs were pulled back by a dark headband, but a couple strands trailed freely, framing her face. The boy he saw, stood a couple inches taller than the girl, and had a head of messy dirty blond hair.

_He could probably be considered rather good looking by most girls' standards,_ Harry thought. Then he saw the boy's eyes. The light blue gaze held an almost feral look to them, similar to that of a wolf's. They contrasted with his gentle features. The two were both garnished with a small glowing blue stone; it dangled on the boy's right ear, and hung around the girl's neck.

He observed them out of the corner of his eye, and Hermione, noticing Harry's attention focus on the two, decided to enlighten him.

"They're transfer students. They'll be going with us to Hogwarts, and are in our year as well," she said.

"Really? I've never heard of Hogwarts having any transfers."

Hermione shrugged, "I heard it from Mrs. Weasley who was told by Dumbledore." Remembering his manners, Harry turned to the two transfers, and spoke up.

"Sorry for not noticing you before, my name's Harry Potter," he introduced, inwardly bracing himself for the reaction to his name.

"That's alright; it would've been rude of us to interrupt a reunion between friends. My name's Zelda Harkinian," she responded, not missing a beat. Harry blinked at the lack of reaction, but he was glad nonetheless. He saw a brief flash of worry flash of worry cross the boy's face, but it was gone the next second.

"I'm Link…Ordona, nice to meet you," the boy said, hesitating a bit between his first and last name. Harry chose not to comment on it, but he did notice Zelda's face take on an amused expression. Link stared at Hedwig for a minute, before commenting.

"You guys use owls to deliver your mail?" he asked. Harry nodded. "That's pretty sick. Harry grinned.

"I know right?"

"Yeah, so anyway, we wanted to give them to you, mate," said Ron, directing the conversation back to where it had begun. "Hermione was going spare, she kept saying you'd do something stupid if you were stuck all on your own without news, but Dumbledore made us-"

"-Swear not to tell me," said Harry. "Yeah, Hermione already said."

The warm feeling that had sprung up at the sight of his two best friends was extinguished by an icy feeling that flooded his stomach. There was a strained silence between the three, with Harry mechanically stroking Hedwig's feathers, and the two transfers talking quietly near the wall. The two straightened up, and informed the other three that they would go back to their rooms to clean up. They only got absent-minded nods in return.

"He seemed to think it was best," said Hermione rather breathlessly. "Dumbledore I mean."

"Right," said Harry, noticing little marks from Hedwig's beak on her hands, and found that he was not sorry at all.

"I think he thought you were safest with the Muggles-" began Ron.

"Yeah?" said Harry, raising his eyebrows. "Have either of you been attacked by dementors this summer?"

"Well, no-but that's why he's had people form the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time-"

Harry felt a great jolt in his guts as though he had just missed a step going down the stairs. So everyone had known he was being followed except him.

* * *

Link and Zelda stood out in the hallway, with Link leaning against the wall.

"Felt a storm brewin' in there," Link stated, and Zelda gave a small hum in agreement. They stood for about a minute in silence, before they heard Harry's voice, filled with anger and frustration ring from the room they had previously exited from.

"Whoa," Link whistled, but he could not blame the kid. Sometimes, when he was feeling angry, he'd go hack at a cuckoo. If he kept it up for a long time, his conscience would suddenly switch into the bird, and he would be able to control it for a while…

They stood there for a while, before Link looked at Zelda.

"Who are they anyway? The people you left in charge."

Zelda grinned. "The Resistance. Or now known as the Hyrule Restoration Team."

"Wait, you left with Telma holding authority?!" Link scoffed. "Next thing you know, she'll probably be signing laws about lowering the drinking age and forcing Renado to court her or something," he said, lips raised in mirth and surprise. He was rewarded with an elbow to the ribs and a laugh. Suddenly, the voices calmed down from the room near them, and they decided that it would be a good time to head back inside.

"What is this place anyway?" they heard Harry shoot at Ron and Hermione.

"Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," said Ron at once.

"Is anyone going to bother telling me what the Order of the Phoenix-?"

"It's a secret society," said Hermione quickly. "Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-Know-Who last time." Then they saw the two heads poke in. Before Hermione could say anything, Link cut in.

"It's okay, Dumbledore told us everything about the Order. You could say we're even part of it too, but not really. We're sort of just like you. Part of it, but also not at the same time." Before entering the headquarters, Dumbledore had given them a lengthy explanation of the reason for the Order, as well as long back story for Harry Potter. The three relaxed a bit, but were still wary. Link motioned for them to continue. "We'll just stand off here to the side."

"So who's in it?" said Harry, opting to ignore the other two's presence, and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Quite a few people actually,"

"And we've met about twenty of them," said Ron, "but we think there are more…"

Harry glared at them.

"_Well?_" he demanded, looking from one to the other.

"Er," said Ron. "Well what?"

"_Voldemort!_" said Harry furiously, and both Hermione and Ron winced. "What's happening? What's he up to? Where is he? What are we doing to stop him?"

"We've _told_ you, the Order don't let us in on their meetings," said Hermione nervously. "So we don't know the details, but we've got a general idea," she added in hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face.

"Fred and George have invented Extendable Ears, see," said Ron. "They're really useful." At this, Link and Zelda perked up, and they exchanged curious looks.

"Extendable-?"

"Ears, yeah. Only we've had to stop using them lately because Mum found out and went berserk. Fred and George had to hide them all to stop Mum binning them. But we got a good bit of use out of them before Mum realized what was going on. We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, keeping tabs on them, you know-"

"-some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Order," said Hermione.

"And some of them are standing guard over something," said Ron. "They're always talking about guard duty." They continued discussing the happenings with the Order, and the conversation soon switched over to what Ron and Hermione had been doing the past few days with the two Hylians listening quietly near the side. Suddenly, with two loud cracks, Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers, had materialized out of thin air into the middle of the room. Link jumped, hands instinctively reaching over his back. He saw Zelda flinch, and Pigwidgeon, Ron's tiny owl, flutter about in the room before zooming up to join Hedwig on top of the wardrobe.

"Why hello Harry," said George, beaming at him. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones." After swapping greetings, the twins held up a piece of very long, flesh colored string.

"We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs," Fred said.

"You want to be careful," said Ron, staring at the ear. "If Mum sees one of them again…"

"It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having," said Fred. The door opened, and a long mane of red hair appeared.

"Oh, hello Harry!" said Ginny brightly. "I thought I heard your voice." Turning to the twins, she said, "It's a no go with the ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door."

"How'd you know?" asked George, looking crestfallen.

"Tonks."

They talked about some Snape guy, and a bunch of other Order people Link had never heard about. They seemed to be unaware of their presence, but not that they minded. Fred's eyes wandered, and they fell on the two Hylians.

"My, it's those newbies Mum was telling us about," he smiled brightly, but Link felt that being new provided no protection from the two's obvious pranking habits. Zelda dipped her head in reply and Link merely nodded.

"Uh-oh." Fred gave the Extendable Ear a hearty tug, and the twins disappeared with another loud crack.

"You can come down now for dinner, the meeting's over, and everyone's dying to see you, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley.

* * *

Ron led the way out of the door and onto the landing, but stopped them before they could get any further.

"Hold it! They're still here. We might be able to hear something!" The five of them looked cautiously over the banisters, and sure enough, the hallway was packed with witches and wizards, including Harry's guard. They were whispering excitedly together, and at the center of the group, Harry noticed a greasy head of black hair, and the owner of it, probably his least favorite professor at Hogwarts, Professor Snape.

They a noticed a flesh colored string descend from above, and saw Fred and George carefully lowering the string towards the dark knot of people. Moments later, they saw the group move forward and out the door.

"Bullocks," Harry heard Fred mutter as he hoisted the string back up again. Heeding Hermione's warning of keeping their voices down, they tiptoed past the hall, but not before they heard a crash.

"_Tonks_!" cried Mrs. Weasley exasperatedly, turning around to look behind her.

"I'm sorry!" Tonks wailed, lying flat on the floor. "It's the umbrella stand! This is the second time-" whatever she had planned to say was drowned in horrid screeching, and the two Hylians, with their slightly better hearing, covered their ears after letting out a small cry. It went unnoticed as the rest of the people's attention was drawn to the old lady in the painting, who was screaming and drooling, her eyes unfocused. They saw some other people screw their eyes shut, and clap a hand over their ears.

"_Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul this house of my fathers-_"Mrs. Weasley gave up trying to shut the curtain, and hurried down the hall to attempt and shut up the other portraits that had woken up from the old lady's screaming. Then a man with long black hair came charging into the room.

"Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!" he roared, seizing the curtain and managing to force it shut along with the help of Lupin. Panting slightly, and sweeping hair out of his eyes, Harry's godfather, Sirius, turned to face them.

"Hello," he said grimly, "I see you've met my mother."

* * *

**Woooo-eeeeeh that was a long chapter. Not that original, I know, but I promise the next chapters should be kicking it up. I'd also like to point out that we have this strange keyboard, and it doesn't have that number part on the right, and therefore are missing a lot of other symbols. Especially the dash, for cutting off and adding parts in, I just used a hyphen.**

**Taken straight out of the wiki.**

**Oh yeah, for their wands, I had taken a bunch of online wand tests for both Link and Zelda, and those woods and cores seemed like the best options. Let me know if you think anything different or have any better suggestions.**

**XHikariSoraX: On the contrary my dear, Ollivander seemed quite delighted. **

**Yuyake no Okami: Well I do believe that humans are capable of magic, I meant to say that as a population, they aren't that adept at using it, and most even don't know of it. Since, like in all of the games, they always seem pretty clueless. Oh and, I see what you saw there…heh hehehehehehehehhehe hack cough choke hehehehehe.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hiya! I must say that I have been stuck in a little jiffy for this story. But, don't worry, I've got it all planned out (not at all). I'll try to weave in the Zelda parts into the Harry Potter storyline (don't worry, it won't be this exact later on, but I wanted the first part to follow a bit more accordingly with the book) and some parts might diverge off the canon in the books, but yeah, you don't have to know that yet. **

**(Revised): I took out the part about their lives in Canada. Ignore this if you have not read the first version.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and the Legend of Zelda is Nintendo's property. Thanks, I would like to remain un-sued please.**

* * *

Chapter Four

"Your-?"

"My dear old mum," said Sirius, "but we can't remove her because of the Permanent Sticking charm on the back of the canvas. Let's get downstairs, quick, before they all wake up again." Godfather and son talked as they walked through the door from the hall and led the way down the narrow steps, the others just behind them. "I offered this house to Dumbledore's for the Order's headquarters-about the only useful thing I've been able to do." Harry noticed a bitter and hard edge to Sirius' voice.

They entered the basement kitchen, and it was not any less gloomy than the hall above, with the only light coming from the flame at the end of the room. Pots and pans hung from the dark ceiling, and chairs were crammed around the long table that stood in the middle of the room. Mr. Weasley and his eldest son, Bill was talking with their heads together at one end of the table. They looked up, and Mr. Weasley gave Harry a warm welcome.

"So, how was your trip? Moody didn't make you come through Greenland, did he?"

"He tried," Tonks replied, walking over to help Bill, but instead only succeeded in toppling a candle, and setting the last piece of parchment on fire. "Oh no! Sorry!"

"Here, dear," said Mrs. Weasley exasperatedly, and she mended the parchment with only a wave of the wand. From the light emitted from Mrs. Weasley's charm, Harry caught a glimpse of the paper, which looked somewhat like a plan for a building. Seeing him looking at it, the plump red-haired woman quickly snatched the parchment away and shoved it into Bill's arms.

"Keep those things off the dinner table!" she snapped, and ushered Harry and the rest into seats. Soon, the kitchen utensils were chopping the meats and vegetables on their own accord, with Mrs. Weasley directing them, and he saw the transfer students look at her with wonder. It was almost like they've never seen magic before. With all the cutlery, plates, and goblets being set up, Sirius decided to start up a conversation with Harry.

"So, how's your summer been so far?" he asked, a bit grimly.

"Lousy," he replied, and for the first time, he saw what seemed to be a grin flit across Sirius' face.

"Don't know what you're complaining about, but I myself would've welcomed a dementor attack. It'd finally give me something to do, and fighting for your soul would've broken the monotony nicely. I've been stuck here for months."

Harry frowned. "Why?"

"The Ministry of Magic is still after me. That, and Voldemort will know I'm an Animagus too. Wormtail must have told him, so my disguise would've been useless. There's not much I can do for the Order, or so Dumbledore feels."

Link piped up, "What's an Animagus?"

A wizard that can morph into an animal at will," said Hermione.

"So what can Sirius transform into?" Link asked. Sirius grinned.

"A big black dog." Link looked thoughtful, a big grin also creeping up his face.

"Cool," he replied. Harry saw excitement and wonder flicker in his eyes, and didn't miss the look he traded with Zelda, who only looked exasperated.

"You're the transfers Dumbledore told us about right?" Sirius said. The two both nodded. There was a flat note in his voice when he uttered Dumbledore's name, and it seemed like he too wasn't that happy with the headmaster right now. Harry felt an upsurge of affection for his godfather. Sirius looked like he was going to say more, but Harry cut in.

"Well at least you know what's going on," Harry retorted, deciding to steer the conversation back to where it had begun. Maybe he would find some answers.

"Heh," said Sirius sarcastically. "Listening to Snape's reports and his snide comments about how he's out there risking his life while I'm here sat on my backside, asking about how the cleaning's going-"

"Cleaning?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, making this inhabitable for humans," said Sirius, waving a hand around the dismal kitchen. "No one's lived in here for a decade, not since my dear old mother died, unless you count her old house elf, who's gone round the twist, and not cleaned anything in years-"

"Sirius?" interrupted Mundungus, still a bit miffed after being told off for smoking by Mrs. Weasley. "Is this solid silver?" he asked, holding up a goblet.

"Yeah," he replied, eyeing it with distaste. "Fifteenth century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest."

"That'd come off, though," said Mundungus, polishing the metal with the cuff of his sleeve. Suddenly, they cringed when they heard Mrs. Weasley's cry at the twins.

"Fred-George-JUST CARRY THEM!" she shrieked. They looked around, and a split second later, dived away from the table. Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air towards them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came up to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface, the flagon of butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere, and the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering, right where Sirius' hand was a second ago.

Mrs. Weasley was seething as she lectured the two, and was borderline screeching. Harry and Sirius were both laughing, and Link joined in as he saw Mundungus topple backwards, cursing as he did so.

"-none of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs. Weasley raged. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't Charm everything he met! Percy-"

She stopped dead, catching her breath, and giving an almost frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly stiff.

"Let's eat," said Bill quickly.

"It looks wonderful, Molly," said Lupin, ladling stew onto a plate for her and handing it across the table. For a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food.

"This is delicious, Mrs. Weasley, it even tops some of our most experienced chefs back home," commented Zelda. Mrs. Weasley beamed at her, but her face still looked tense.

"Thank you dear, I'm glad you enjoy it," she said. Turning to Sirius, she said, "I've been meaning to tell you, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could be a boggart, but I thought we ought to have Alastor look at it before we let it out.

"Whatever you like," said Sirius indifferently.

"The curtains are full of doxies too," she went on, "I thought we'd take care of them tomorrow."

"I look forward to it." Harry wasn't sure how many others in the room heard the sarcasm, but he did see Link's mouth twitch.

Shifting his eyes around the table, he caught Tonks transforming her nose into different shapes, much to the delight of Hermione and Ginny. For a second, he saw the familiar hooked nose of his least favorite professor, Snape, before it changed into a fat, broccoli nose, reminding him of his spoiled cousin, Dudley. This apparently was a common occurrence, because soon Hermione and Ginny were requesting their favorite noses.

On the other side of the table, Mr. Weasley, Bill and Lupin were having a deep discussion over goblins, with Zelda adding her own two cents every now or then, but she mainly stuck with just talking with Link. He had noticed how primly she ate, which contrasted quite a bit with Link, who shoveled food in his mouth like his life depended on it, but both had earned smiles from Mrs. Weasley.

A loud burst of laughter from the middle of the table drowned out the rest of the people's chatter. Fred, George, Ron and Mundungus were rolling around in their seats.

"…and then," choked Mundungus, tears running down his face, "and then, it you'll believe it, 'e said to me, 'e says ''ere, Dung, where didja get all them toads from? 'Cos some of a Bludger's gone and nicked mine! And I says, 'Nicked all your toads, Will, what next? So you'll be wanting some more, then?' And if you'll believe me, lads, the gormless gargoyle buys all 'is own toads back orf me for twice what 'e paid in the first place-"

"I don't think we need to hear any more of your business dealings, thank you very much, Mundungus," said Mrs. Weasley sharply, as Ron slumped forward onto the table, howling with laughter. She got up to her feet, and went to fetch a large rhubarb crumble for pudding. Dinner passed by quickly, without too many outbursts.

With the extra helpings of rhubarb crumble and custard later, and the waistband around Harry's jeans feeling uncomfortably tight, he relaxed back into his chair and set his spoon aside.

"I'm stuffed!" he heard Link say, and Zelda nodding in agreement. She still sat upright, and had her hands folded neatly in her lap. On the other hand, Link was sitting slouched against the chair, looking content and replete.

"Nearly time for bed, I think," said Mrs. Weasley on a yawn.

"Not just yet, Molly," said Sirius, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

The atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. Where seconds before, it had been relaxed, it was now alert, even tense. Even the transfers sat up a bit straighter.

"I did!" Harry protested. "I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so-"

"And they're quite right. You're too young," said Mrs. Weasley. Her fists were clenched, and she was sitting bolt upright.

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?' asked Sirius. "Harry's been stuck in that Muggle house for months, not knowing anything. I think he's got the right to know what's been happening-"

"Wait just a moment!" interrupted George loudly.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" said Fred angrily. They were ignored. The two adults played a game with their conversation, throwing back angrily what the other said, with the others in the room following along quietly.

"-he's only fifteen!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"-And he's dealt with as much as most in the Order," said Sirius, "and more than some-"

[xxxxxxxx]

Seeing Mrs. Weasley's attitude towards a child handling the responsibilities of an adult, Link wondered how she would have reacted if she heard about his quest in Hyrule. Or how Zelda took over as princess after her father passed away when she was just fifteen, the same age as Harry right now. The thought of it almost brought a smirk to his face, but he forced it down, berating himself for thinking that way.

The shouts from the table died down, with almost all the young wizards save for Ginny managing to weasel their way in. The youngest Weasley did not go without a fight though, and they could hear her raging and storming all the way up the stairs. The loud noise from the red head did not go un-noticed however, and soon, the house was filled with Mrs. Black's shrieks again. Lupin hurried off to try and restore the calm, and it was only after he returned that Sirius spoke up.

"What about the transfer students? They are the same age as Harry, and they have no special reason as to why they should stay." There was no malice, just curiosity.

"Dumbledore said they could. He said they shouldered many greater responsibilities back home, though he did not clarify exactly what." Mrs. Weasley seemed almost reluctant to admit the information, as they were just children in her eyes, along with all the other teens present.

_Makes sense, I mean, we _did _die, _he thought. Link noticed a couple inquisitive looks being shot discretely at them, but he and Zelda did not bother elaborating about said 'responsibilities'.

"Okay, Harry…what do you want to know?" said Sirius.

"Everything," he said.

* * *

Zelda was honestly surprised at how lacking the magical government here was. They were refusing to believe that Voldemort was coming back, even with the evidence staring right at them. Her first experience in the world of magic had her expecting much better. Heck, she'd probably been doing a better job when she was fifteen.

She heard Mrs. Weasley end the meeting, telling them all to go to bed. Harry had insisted that he be inducted into the Order, but it was Lupin that gave the immediate 'no'. As they all headed for their own rooms, she turned and saw Mrs. Weasley following them up the stairs looking grim.

"I want you all in bed, no talking," she said. "I expect Ginny's asleep, so try not to wake her up."

"Asleep, yeah, right," said Fred in an undertone. "If Ginny's not lying awake waiting for them then I'm a flobberworm…"

Zelda bade the others goodnight, trailing behind Hermione as they walked towards their room. Once inside, after shutting the door quietly, she changed into her night clothes as quickly as possible, before diving straight onto her mattress, ignoring Ginny and Hermione's quiet conversation. She was asleep within minutes.

With Link, the door leading into their room was closed with a sharp snap, and he saw Harry calmly observing the interior of the room. To him, it looked much more dank and gloomy than it had the first time he'd been here.

"Oh yeah…I forgot," said Ron. He crossed the room and bolted the door.

"What're you doing that for?" said Harry.

"Kreacher. The first night, he came prowling in at around three in the morning. Trust me; you don't want him wandering around your room."

Link bent down and opened his trunk. He dug around for his pajamas in his suitcase, and took off his shirt. Ron, who had been busy tossing Owl Treats on top of the wardrobe to placate Hedwig and Pigwidgeon, stared.

"Blimey! How did you get all those scars?" said Ron. Link blinked, and then looked down to his chest, and sure enough, there were all the mended wounds he had received on his quest. Harry, looking up from his own luggage, gazed at him as well.

"What's with the earring too?" Harry added.

"Ah well, here and there…you know, and the earring is something that I must never take off," Link said simply. Realizing that they wanted a better explanation, he went into more detail. "I got into some close scrapes with some monsters, some carried weapons with them, the jerks." He got up, and began plumping up his pillow. "Since Mrs. Weasley said to shut up. I'm going to shut up now." With that, he jumped under the cold covers, curled up, and shut his eyes. The other two however, continued talking. Their conversation lasted for quite a while, and Link listening intently, his eyes still shut tightly.

"OUCH!" yelled Ron, his voice cutting through the cold murmur of silence. He was immediately shushed by one of the twins. Link couldn't which one; they both sounded the same.

"Keep your voice down, or Mum will come back up here and kick our butts."

"You two landed on my knees!"

"Yeah well it's harder in the dark-"

Link saw the blurred outlines of Fred and George leaping down from Ron's bed. There was a groan of bedsprings, and he saw one of the two sit down on Harry's bed.

"So, got there yet?" said George eagerly.

"The weapon Sirius mentioned?" said Harry.

"Let slip, more like," said Fred with relish, now sitting next to Ron. "Is Link awake?" Link sneezed and turned so that he was facing them, his eyes blinking owlishly. "Guess not."

"What'd you reckon it is?" said Harry. They debated eagerly until footsteps resounded from outside the door, and all of the occupants held their breaths.

"Jeez, she doesn't trust us at all," said Ron regretfully as the footsteps died away. They were all silent, the twins having already gone back to their rooms. Without anything else to interrupt, Link slipped easily into unconsciousness.

The next morning, Link woke up under the warm covers, his body spread eagle under the blankets. He heard George's loud voice fill the room.

"Mum says to get up and eat breakfast. After that we're cleaning," he said. Half an hour later, the three boys, who were now dressed and breakfasted quickly, entered the drawing room, a long, high-ceilinged room with dirty drapery covering olive-green walls. The carpet breathed out a cloud of dust every time someone set foot on it, and the curtains buzzed, oddly enough, as Link saw no bees or anything near it. There they saw Mrs. Weasley, along with the twins, Zelda, Hermione, and Ginny looking quite peculiar, as they had cloths tied over there noses and mouths. They each held a spray bottle with black liquid inside.

"So you're finally up, sleepyhead," said Zelda, a tea towel half concealing her face.

"Cover your faces and take a spray," directed Mrs. Weasley. "It's Doxycide." She continued on about the infestation of Doxies, fitting a small comment about Kreacher in the middle. That earned a small reproachful look from Hermione.

"He's pretty old, I'm sure he probably couldn't manage-" She was interrupted by Sirius, who was lugging a bloodstained sack.

"You'd be surprised what Kreacher can manage when he wants to, Hermione," said Sirius. "Was just feeding Buckbeak," he said, catching Harry's inquiring look. He dropped the bag of rats onto an armchair, and peered into the keyhole of the drawer.

"Well Molly, I'm pretty sure this is a boggart, but perhaps we ought to have Mad-Eye have a look at it. Knowing my mother, it could be much worse."

"Right you are, Sirius," said Mrs. Weasley. The light, polite way they were speaking told Link that neither had forgotten the argument last night.

A loud, clanging bell sounded from downstairs, followed at once by the cacophony of screams and wails, not unlike the first night where Tonks had knocked over the umbrella stand.

"I keep telling them not to ring the doorbell!" snapped Sirius, hurrying out of the room.

"Close the door, please, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley. Link saw Harry linger at the door a bit, and he too could hear voices coming from outside.

"Right, you lot, you need to be careful, because doxies bite and their teeth are poisonous. I've got a bottle of antidote here, but I'd prefer not having to use it." She straightened up, standing directly in front of the curtains.

"On my word, start spraying immediately. They'll come flying out at us, I expect, but it says on the spray that one good squirt should paralyze them. Just throw them in here," she said holding up the bucket.

She stepped carefully out of the line of fire, and raised her own spray.

"Ready, set-squirt!"

Link punched his finger down on the nozzle, and only seconds later, a full grown doxy came charging at him. He caught it in the face with a splash of Doxycide. It fell, immobilized, and he picked up and tossed it into the bucket. He grinned.

_This is pretty fun_, he thought, randomly spraying another few doxies. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fred pocket an unconscious doxy, and George mutter something to Harry.

Taking care of the doxies took up most of the morning, and Link let out a groan, taking off the cloth and stretching his arms. He saw Zelda collapse onto a chair, only to spring back up when she felt the sack of dead rats underneath. He snickered, and drew the outline of a crown on top of his head. Zelda glared at him.

When the doorbell rang again, Mrs. Weasley left the room, firmly ordering them to stay here. When the door shut, everyone dashed to the window, and saw a head of red, unkempt hair with a stack of cauldrons. Next thing they knew, they heard Mrs. Weasley shouting at the top of her lungs.

"I love it when she's yelling at someone besides us," said Fred with a satisfied smile.

George sniggered, and made way to close the door, but a house elf managed to edge his way in before he could do so. The scrawny elf was completely naked, save for the loincloth tied around its middle. The house elf took no notice of the people inside the room. With his back hunched, he dragged himself to the other side of the room, and they could hear him muttering something incoherently. The house elf stopped his mumbling to stare at Zelda for a minute. A bit unnerved, she stared back. The elf went back to grumbling about blood traitors and filth.

"Hello Kreacher," said Fred very loudly, closing the door with a sharp snap.

The house elf stopped, and turned to look at them after giving a very pronounced and unconvincing sound of surprise.

"Kreacher did not see Young Master," said the elf, turning and bowing at Fred. Still facing the carpet, he added, "Nasty little brat of the blood traitors."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" said George.

"Kreacher said nothing," he replied, and added, "and there's its twin, unnatural little beasts they are." At this, Link snickered, and the house elf turned his gaze onto him.

"Oh? There's a new boy here. Two actually." He shifted his eyes onto Harry.

"That's Harry Potter," said Hermione kindly. Kreacher flinched.

"The Mudblood is talking to Kreacher! Oh, what would Mistress say if she saw him in such company-?"

"Don't call her a Mudblood!" both Ron and Ginny said angrily. With his gaze still on Harry, he continued muttering.

"Ah, that's Potter? Kreacher can see the scar. How this brat managed to stop the Dark Lord-"

"We all wonder that," said Fred.

"What do you want anyway?" asked George.

"Nothing, Kreacher was cleaning," he said evasively. Then his eyes set on Zelda, and the light shone a bit differently inside them. "Yes, your presence is the only one welcome here. Much more pure than the other pieces of filth that tarnish out lovely Black house. Kreacher can see the pure blood that runs in you; Mistress would have loved-"

"Just what about my dear old mother?" said an irritated voice from behind Harry. They turned and saw Sirius standing in the doorway.

"Nothing Master, Kreacher was cleaning," he repeated hurriedly. He mumbled some words underneath his breath, still staring at the carpet, not daring to look up at Sirius.

"Yeah, right. This place is just getting cleaner by the day, isn't it? Keep up it, and the house might actually live up to our name, Black." Kreacher did not reply, continuing to mutter about the trash that dirtied the house of Black.

"Yes, yes, now go away," ordered Sirius and the house elf stalked off. "You see that tapestry Kreacher was trying to protect, that depicts our family tree. I'm not on there, 'cause, well, I was blasted off after I ran away."

"You ran away?" Harry asked.

"Yep, couldn't handle it anymore. I lived at your dad's place for a while before I got a place of my own. Uncle Alphard left me a pretty decent amount of gold."

"But why did you-"

"Run away? Because I hated the whole lot of them. My parents with their whole pure-blood mania, and my little brother, who was soft enough to believe them…" He jabbed a finger at a picture at the bottom, and Link saw the name Regulus Black. "Stupid idiot joined the Death Eaters. Died some fifteen years back. You can guess what kind of family we were."

"Then were your parents Death Eaters?" said Hermione.

"No. But they agreed with Voldemort. They shared the same view on Muggles and Muggle-borns." They heard the door open again, and Mrs. Weasley walk in. She was levitating a tray of sandwiches, and her face was still a bit red with anger.

"Lunch," said Mrs. Weasley. Link joined the others as they moved towards her, but noticed Harry and Sirius still talking near the tapestry. He took a sandwich, thanking the woman as he did so.

"No problem, dear."

He moved to stand near Zelda, and they stood side by side, tucking into their food. Quickly finishing his sandwich, he turned to the princess.

"The wizards here use owls. Don't we need something like that?" he said curiously. She nodded, and swallowed the last bite of her sandwich.

"Usually we would've bought one at Diagon Alley, but last time we didn't get the chance. I'll ask, but there are a lot of things going on here, so I doubt we'll get them soon," she said, looking rather thoughtful. Link then suddenly snapped his fingers.

"I think I have an idea," Link grinned, flashing his sharp canines.

* * *

The two Hylians stood outside, but still within the range of the protective Charms placed on the house. Link was on his knees, crawling around the grass. His eyes roamed the place, trying to single out something from within the overgrown foliage. Zelda stood near him, looking exasperated.

"Really, Link, we've been here for an hour already. What is it that you are looking for?" She folded her arms, shifting her weight onto one leg.

"Grass," was his muted reply. Zelda sighed, and bent down to sit next to him. They stayed like that for a while, before Link jumped up, crying out in delight as his beast-like eyes glimmered brightly. He held up a bird-shaped stick of grass with flourish.

"I thought I saw some growing here; this is hawk grass. It's used to call hawks down. Rusl taught me how to use them when I was young back in Ordon, and they're quite useful," Link explained, showing the plant to her.

"How do you use them?" said Zelda, eyeing the grass. She picked another one, and held it carefully as if it was fragile, like glass.

"You really just have to blow into it, but you have to make a melody too, otherwise the bird won't come." He put his lips on the grass, and a quiet tune picked up from it. A second later, a hawk was sitting on Link's arm, preening its feathers. "Good, I was worried it might not get through the barriers."

"So, that's all I have to do?" asked Zelda, hesitantly raising the plant up to her mouth.

"Yep, but don't blow too hard. If you don't remember the tune, I can play it again," he said, holding up the stalk of grass near his lips again.

"Don't worry, I remember it." She blew on the grass, and a 'pfft' sound came out. Link laughed, and Zelda frowned in response, inspecting the object in her hands carefully.

"It's not so easy that you would get it on your first try. Heck, it took me days to get the hang of it," said Link. "You've played the horse whistle for Epona right? It's sorta like that. That and you're holding it wrong." He moved closer to her, and took her hands. He pushed them up to her mouth, and tilted the grass a little. "That's better, try again." She did so, and the noise she made sounded a bit more like Link's, but still no hawk came.

"Guess I still need a bit more practice," she said. Link smiled at her.

"Indeed. For now, we can just use this one, that is if we need it," he said, pointing at the bird, which had now moved onto his shoulder. "But we don't need it now, so I'm letting it go." He pushed the hawk into the sky, and it took off.

"I should probably get a whistle for this as well, then we won't have to go through the trouble of finding this hawk grass," he said. Zelda nodded her head in agreement.

"We should probably go back inside. The others were supposed to be cleaning out the silverware right?" said Zelda.

* * *

Mrs. Weasley made sure that they were worked hard over the next few days. The drawing room took three days to decontaminate, and the Moody hadn't stopped by yet, so they couldn't check on the rattling desk.

The doorbell rang many a time, each resulting in the shrieks of Sirius' mother. Zelda caught glimpses of the visitors, and was told that some of them would be her future professors at Hogwarts. During one of the days, she saw an old lady, looking a bit weird with her long dress and overcoat.

"That's Professor McGonagall. She's the head of house for Gryffindor. She's super strict, but a good teacher," Hermione had told her.

On a rare occasion that all of them were free from cleaning, or 'waging war on the house' as Harry had described it, the young wizards sat together in the room upstairs and tried to bring the transfers up to date.

"So where are you from anyway?" asked Ron one day. They had finished all of their chores for that day, and Mrs. Weasley had given them the day off.

"You've probably never heard of it though," Link said quietly, looking away.

"That doesn't matter," Ron responded with a shrug.

"Well..." Link began uncertainly. "It...It was a beautiful place. It was a bit behind technology-wise, and quite isolated from everywhere else. But the forests were never quiet, and it glowed with all kinds of life, and the water was always clear and great for swimming or fishing. The fields also yielded all sorts of goods and produce, and the large ones in between towns could travel on more miles." He paused, taking in a moment to absorb their reactions; all in all they seemed pretty amazed. To Zelda, Link's description of Hyrule was much more poetic than she had expected; he never seemed like one to enjoy poetry.

"It sounds like a wonderful place, but why the past tense?" asked Harry, breaking the temporary silence.

"Our home…" Zelda stopped herself and looked down. "Our home no longer exists," she stated grimly, turning the Timeshift Stone around in her fingers..

"What happened?" said Hermione, shocked.

"I-I do not remember. Link and I were out of town when it happened, but when we got back…"

"The people had turned into spirits, and the town was burnt to the ground," Link finished solemnly, his eyes downcast. Hermione put a hand to her mouth, and Ron's eyes darkened.

"W-what about your parents? Were they alright?" said Harry. The two shook their head.

"We're both orphans. Well, I never knew mine, but…" Link trailed off, and Zelda did not finish for him. Harry nodded in empathy. They sat in awkward silence until Mrs. Weasley walked in.

"Harry dear, I have all your clothes ironed out for tomorrow. You're ready for the hearing right?" said Mrs. Weasley. Harry looked pained, but nodded.

"Thank you," he said. Mrs. Weasley smiled in an attempt to cheer him up, but the boy's spirits seemed only to dampen.

"No problem. These are your best clothes, and I want you to wash your hair tonight. A good first impression can do wonders," she said.

"How am I getting there?" Harry asked, trying to sound unconcerned.

"Arthur's bringing you to work with him," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling encouragingly. "Oh yes, I almost forgot." She waved her wand, and a couple of textbooks floated in. She handed them to Link and Zelda. "Dumbledore told me to give these to you. He said to look over them."

"Thank you," they both said, taking the books and setting them on their laps.

"You're welcome. Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes; tonight we're having lamb chops," she said, closing the door behind her.

"Hearing?" said Link, much more brightly as all talk of where they had come from pushed aside. "What'd you do, murder someone?"

"No," replied Harry, almost miserably. "I was charged for using underage magic."

"For good reason!" said Ron loudly. "He and his cousin Dudley met a dementor, and he had to use create a patronus or else their souls would've been sucked away!"

"What's a dementor?" asked Zelda, her hands itching to open up the textbook and read.

"A horrible creature. They cause depression and despair, and can also consume a person's soul," said Hermione, slightly shuddering as she remembered their encounter with them back in their third year.

"What was it doing there? Do they simply run amok?" asked Zelda..

"They usually don't. They're employed by the Ministry, but how it got to a Muggle town, I don't know," said Hermione, combing a hand through her bushy hair.

"You know, all this talk is making me hungry. Let's go down for dinner," said Ron, seeing the look on Harry's face.

"Oh Ronald, when are you ever not hungry?"

* * *

The next day, Harry left for his hearing at the Ministry. Link slept in until around ten, quickly inhaling his breakfast and making his way to where ever Zelda was. He didn't see any signs of the others, but he found Zelda curled up in an armchair in the library, focusing intently on the book she was holding.

Link snuck up behind her, employing the same techniques he used when he caught bugs for Agatha. He leaned his head forward, and whispered in her ear.

"Yo."

She yelped, almost dropping the book before turning around and glowering at him. He laughed, and collapsed onto the chair next to her.

"Din-dammit Link!" she placed the book on her lap, still glaring at him.

"Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist," he said in-between chuckles. "So, what are you reading?"

"It's one of the textbooks Dumbledore gave us. It's about Transfiguration," said Zelda, holding up the book. "Have you even looked at them?"

"Haven't even opened them."

She sighed. "You're hopeless, you know that?" said Zelda, closing her eyes.

"Then I think saving Hyrule is pretty impressive for someone who's so hopeless," he replied, picking up another book and leafing through it before putting it back down in disgust. "Reading's not my thing, I'd even prefer cleaning up after the goats on a hot summer day."

"Yeah well, you're going to have to, considering that we're going to a school for a year."

"Ugh," groaned Link. "We never had to go to school back in Ordon. The Pythagorean Theorem ain't going to help the pumpkins grow, that's for sure." Zelda chuckled at that.

"I'm surprised you even know what it is."

"I don't."

They sat quietly, with Zelda flipping through the pages again, looking for her previous spot in the book. She suddenly looked up, and set the book aside.

"So, why Ordona?" said Zelda, eyes shining with mirth. Link blushed a bit.

"I panicked," he mumbled, crossing his arms and slumping further into his seat.

"You suck at lying, you know?" she said, crossing her arms, book now lying forgotten on the table next to her.

"I do," said Link, "That's why I try not to do it."

"Uh-huh," said Zelda. "Sure you don't. And anyway, what did you think about our background story? Do you think it was feasible?"

"It's pretty dark. They won't question it outright," said Link, resting his head on the palm of his hand. "That probably raised its legit-ness by ten percent."

"Legit-ness is not a word," said Zelda, face impassive.

"You're the princess; you have the power to make it a word. Just like how you can commit mass-murder in the names of the royal family."

"That's terrible, and also an abuse of power, Link." She broke into a grin after finishing her sentence, her poker-face gone.

Link cracked a grin, before succumbing to a fit of laughter as well. But the light-hearted atmosphere did not last long, as Zelda's face became more serious, and Link followed, pushing the amusement down.

"Nothing's returned, has it?" she said quietly.

"No…" he admitted reluctantly. "Nothing."

"It is the same for me," said Zelda softly, tapping her foot in an unsteady rhythm.

Link slumped in his seat and let out a long groan. He ran a hand through his hair, and covered his eyes with the crook of his arm. Zelda sat a little bit straighter.

"We should go over what we remember; a while before the incident," she suggested. "Maybe then, it will lead to other memories." There was hope dancing in her eyes, but it was weak, as if the chances of them finding out or remembering were low.

"Well," began Link. "It was a year after Midna left, right? We lived our lives normally for a couple of months, and I visited the castle often."

"Yes, you were usually in Ordon, and I was at the castle. A week before…something, I sent out a letter-"

"-The postman came over and delivered a letter from you. You called me over to Hyrule Castle, and we talked." The image of Zelda sprung into his mind, and he remembered the princess wearing her usual purple and white dress.

Zelda snapped her fingers. "It was a week before my coronation!" While Zelda was the only monarch of Hyrule, she still only bore the title of princess. It was only after her eighteenth birthday that she would rightfully inherit the throne as queen. A ceremony had been planned, but no memory of actually attending the coronation existed.

Zelda squeezed her eyes shut. "The reason for summoning you was of little importance, but it was what we discovered afterwards that had shocked both of us."

"Yeah...wish I could remember though…" Link sighed. Zelda let out a breath of disappointment, and picked up her book once again.

"It will return gradually, like Dumbledore said," Zelda said, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself as well.

They stayed like that for quite some time, until they heard the front door open and close again, and a torrent of footsteps rush in. Link snapped out of whatever state of semi-consciousness he was in, and got up. His actions were mirrored by Zelda, who had just finished skimming the textbook.

They walked into the hallway, where Ron and Hermione were standing, yelling at the top of their lungs as they crowded around Harry, who was smiling widely.

"I knew it!" yelled Ron, punching the air. "You always manage to get away with these kinds of things."

"They were bound to clear you," said Hermione, who was holding a shaky hand over her eyes, "There was no case against you, none at all…"

"Everyone seemed quite relieved," said Harry, "considering they all knew I'd get off."

Mrs. Weasley was wiping her face on her apron, and Fred, George, and Ginny were doing some sort of war dance while shouting a chant that went, "_He got off, he got off, he got off-_"

"That is wonderful news, Harry," said Zelda, beaming at him. Link nodded, grinning as well.

"Be quiet you three," Mrs. Weasley told the three siblings, whose chants were only getting louder and louder.

"Oh yeah, Sirius, we saw Lucius Malfoy at the Ministry today, he was talking with Fudge," said Mr. Weasley. "Dumbledore ought to know."

"Great, we'll tell him," replied Sirius.

"_He got off, he got off, he got off-_"

"That is enough," admonished Mrs. Weasley, as Mr. Weasley left the kitchen. "Harry, would you like some food? You hardly ate breakfast."

Hermione and Ron sat on both sides of him, and Link and Zelda sat opposite of him as he began tucking in to his food. The dismal house seemed much brighter and welcoming all of a sudden, and even Kreacher looked less ugly when he poked his head in the room.

The five's chatter began with Harry relaying the events of the hearing to them, and they listened with eager ears.

"Course when Dumbledore showed up, there was no way they'd convict you," said Ron happily, ladling great mounds of mashed potatoes into everyone's plates.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking as though he had something else on his mind. Suddenly, he clapped a hand onto his forehead.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione, alarmed.

"Are you okay?" said Zelda.

"Scar," Harry mumbled. "It's nothing…it happens all the time."

The others didn't notice a thing, as they were busy gloating over the day, and stuffing themselves with food. Fred, George, and Ginny were still singing. Hermione still looked a bit anxious, but whatever she was going to say was cut off by Ron.

"I bet even Dumbledore will come over tonight to celebrate," he said brightly in-between spoonfuls of food.

"I doubt it, he's very busy-"

"_HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF-"_

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

**On that lovely note, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I lied when I said that things would be kicking up in this chapter. This chapter was quite boring indeed, but no matter, we shall move onward! Also, inform me of any mistakes/grammatical errors/all that crap that I make, I suck at editing.**

**Thanks to Thatstarpleoverthere, Happycafegirl, Alicia Roth, Magic Taco (nice name), Prucanisthewaytogo (Prussia and Canada are quite cute together, and if that's not what your name is about, then ignore me), Shadows from Twilight, Tinurin, and meldauty for the follow/fave! **

**XHikariSoraX: I doubt it, since there was that charm placed onto it (unless you're talking about another meeting) but thanks!**

**Yuyake no Okami: 'Tis not a problem, my friend. I have no idea when my chapters come out either. It's okay, I get distracted easily too, and I've been caught up with a bunch of animes and games too (cough cough Skyward Sword)**

**Guest: I guess he could be considered a dick, but I would be frustrated too if everyone knew something that I didn't.**

**Shadows from Twilight: It made me super happy when I read your review, and don't worry; I'm too much of a wimp to abandon this story. I'd be haunted at night from all of the people I let down. Though it will take some time to develop a schedule (p.s. I'm horrible at planning and I'm a procrastinator too). I like your idea about the port key thing too. Also, I wasn't planning on making Link a social butterfly either, to me, he is and always will be a dweeb that accidentally looked at Telma's boobs. Heh heh, check the footage if you want evidence, heh heh. Link being all war-hardened also makes sense too, so I won't be making him too happy-go-lucky.**

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! It makes my day whenever I receive an email about this story, so please R&amp;R!**

**Thanks,**

**Doodle**


	5. Chapter 5

**Greetings readers. Nothing exciting much in this chapter. I should just stop promising stuff to you guys, I suck. I don't really know what else to say right now, so…yeah.**

**(Revised)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Legend of Zelda. They belong to their respective owners/companies, thank you very much.**

* * *

Chapter Five

"Booklists have arrived," said Ron, tossing a couple of envelopes onto the table. "They usually come earlier though…"

Harry, who was sweeping up Hedwig's droppings from the wardrobe, picked one up and examined it.

"Link, you've already gotten your textbooks right?" said Harry, eyes still locked onto the paper.

"Yep. I still need to look at them though, otherwise Zelda's gonna rage. She takes her learning seriously," said Link. He was sitting on his bed, fiddling with the hawk whistle he'd made a couple days ago. He had also given one to Zelda.

"Sounds a little like a certain someone we know," grinned Ron.

"There are only two new ones this year," noticed Harry. "_Standard Book of Spells, Grade_ 5, by Miranda Goshawk and_ Defensive Magical Theory,_ by William Slinkhard."

_Crack_. The twins Apparated in, and Harry prided himself for not falling off his chair.

"We were just wondering who assigned that Slinkhard book," said Fred conversationally.

"Because it means Dumbledore's found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," said George, "and about time too."

"What do you mean?" said Link.

"We heard, using the Extendable Ears of course, that Dumbledore was having a hard time finding a teacher," said Fred. "Not surprising at all, really, when you look at what happened to the previous four."

"One sacked, one dead, one's memory removed, and another locked inside a trunk for nine months," said Harry, counting them off his fingers. Link looked amazed.

"That job seems fun," said Link sarcastically.

"What's up with you, Ron?" asked George, looking at the youngest red head in to the room. Ron was staring open mouthed at his letter.

"What, you get expelled or something?" Link threw out nonchalantly. Ron shook his head, still slightly gaping.

"I'm…I'm a prefect."

"Prefect!" exclaimed Fred, looking incredulously at the letter. "Prefect?!"

George leapt forward, snatching the envelope out of Ron's hands and turning it upside down. Harry saw something gold and red fall onto his outstretched palm.

"Who in their right mind would make Ron a prefect?" said Fred, seizing the letter. "There must be some mistake." The twins both looked at Harry.

"We thought you were a cert!" said Fred, jabbing his finger at him and looking at him as though he had been tricked.

"Dumbledore was bound to choose you," said George indignantly. The door burst open, and Hermione flew in, Zelda stepping in calmly after her.

"Did you-?" Hermione cried, waving the letter in the air. She saw the letter in Harry's hand, and shrieked in delight.

"I knew it!" she said, striding over to him.

"Actually, it's Ron's" Harry cut in. He handed the letter back to Ron, who took it, still looking dazed.

"Wait-" said Hermione, face turning red.

"It's my name on the letter," said Ron, almost defiantly.

"Ah," said Hermione, looking a bit bewildered. "Nicely done, congratulations! It was really-"

"Unexpected," George finished, nodding. Hermione blushed even harder. The door opened again, and Mrs. Weasley walked in, carrying a basket of laundry. She tackled Ron, squishing him in a bear hug when she found out, and tears of joy rolled down her face. Harry smiled, but he couldn't help but to feel jealousy build up inside. He immediately squashed it down, berating himself for envying his best friend.

He saw Link laugh at the flustered expression on Ron's face, and he couldn't help but to join in.

The transfers were already mostly finished with their luggage when the others were still scrambling around the place, trying to locate all of their stuff, and they drifted from person to person, making small talk and offering help. Mrs. Weasley returned from Diagon Alley at around six o'clock, laden with books and carrying a long package, which she handed to Ron, who let out a moan of longing when he took it.

"Never mind unwrapping it, come down for dinner. People are already arriving," she said, but the moment she was gone, Ron had ripped open the package, letting out a whoop of delight as he held his new broom, examining every inch of it.

They entered the kitchen, which was draped with a banner that congratulated Ron and Hermione on becoming prefects.

"I thought we'd have a small party for you guys," Mrs. Weasley said, beaming. Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, and Shacklebolt were already there, and Moody limped in right after Harry had got himself a butterbeer. The man eyed the two transfers suspiciously, but Harry paid no mind, as he did it to everyone he met.

Moody swiveled his eye, turning to look at the ceiling.

"Yeah…" he growled. "It's a boggart. Want me to deal with it?"

"No, it's okay," said Mrs. Weasley. "I can handle it."

They all sat down, making a toast with their goblets as they did so. Chatter instantly erupted from the table, a pleasant and happy aura following after it.

Moody stared at the two transfers, before speaking up.

"Dumbledore told me about you two, says you're trustworthy, but I'm not convinced. And what's with that girly earring-"

"Alastor!" said Mrs. Weasley, "they have been nothing but good since they came here, I'll have you know."

"I can assure you, my friend and I mean no harm to you and your allies. If anything, we wish to help," Zelda said smoothly. Moody still looked skeptical.

"CONSTANT-" Moody began, but was cut off by Mrs. Weasley, who only handed him a dish packed with food, determined not to ruin tonight's celebration.

"Eat up Alastor; the trip here must have made you hungry."

Dinner carried on with the same cheer as it did when it had begun, and the conversations seemed to have only increased in volume. Mrs. Weasley stood up.

"I think I'll deal with that boggart now, best I do it before going to bed," she said. Turning to Mr. Weasley, she said, "Make sure they don't stay up too late. G'night, Harry."

She left the kitchen. Harry set down his plate, wondering if he could follow her without drawing too much attention. His ears picked up the discussion held between the two transfers.

"-you really adore Epona, do you? I swear you spoil her too much sometimes," said Zelda.

"I can't help it! I've raised her since she was small enough to fit in my arms!" said Link passionately. "The way her white hair shines so beautifully in the sun, or the way she breathes so heavily after a run, or the way she sometimes chews on my hair, or-"

_What is he talking about?_

"-I just can't help but to sneak some extra pumpkin bits to her, you know?"

"No. I don't know," Zelda deadpanned. She saw Harry looking at them and she smiled.

"What are you guys talking about?" said Harry.

"Link's horse. He's completely attached to her. It's like she's his daughter or something."

"That's because she is!" Link retorted, slamming his hands down onto his knees. "She's my dearest baby. No one's touching her, not even that fancy stallion in the town's old stables. I've made it clear since birth that Epona's not allowed to date other horses until she's married; and that's only if she's in a public facility at certain hours of the day!"

Harry laughed, and he turned away from their conversations. As amusing as it was, he saw Moody beckoning him over.

"Come here, I've got something to show you." From the depths of his robes, Moody took out an old, tattered Wizarding photo and showed it to Harry.

"The original Order of the Phoenix. There's me," said Moody, pointing a finger onto the picture. Harry studied the photograph. A small crowd of people waved at him, and he could pick out a few familiar faces. Moody rambled on; giving a small description of each person, but Harry wasn't paying much attention. He stared at the smiling faces of his parents, and his heart turned over. He handed the photo back.

Harry quickly excused himself, thanking the one-eyed man. He left the kitchen, wandering around until he was near the drawing room. He tiptoed past the stairs, and from there he could make out the sound of someone sobbing.

Someone was cowering against the dark wall, wand in hand, and body shaking with sobs. Sprawled on the dusty floor, lay the body of his best friend, Ron.

Harry drew a sharp intake of breath. He was sure he'd just seen him downstairs.

"_R-riddikulus!_" cried Mrs. Weasley, pointing her wand at it. Crack! Ron's body changed into Bill's, and Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever.

"_R-riddikulus!" _She cried again. Crack! The boggart changed into Mr. Weasley, glasses askew and a trickle of blood running down his face.

"_R-r-riddikulus!_" Crack! The twins, Percy, and Harry's body each took their place as Mrs. Weasley continued shouting spell after spell. They heard new footsteps enter, and a new voice speak.

"What's with the commotion?" said Link, peeking in curiously. He saw Mrs. Weasley sobbing against the wall, and instantly shut his mouth. Zelda stood by his side, eyes widening at the dead body lying in the room. Harry turned to explain, but the boggart had already seen the two, and immediately began changing.

In its place stood a man. Oddly, he had slightly green skin, and hair that could rival the Weasley's in redness. He wore strange looking clothes, and he wore dark armor as well. He carried a bright, white sword, which contrasted greatly with his dark appearance, and Harry noticed a white wound in his midsection. Scattered on the floor around him lay a golden diadem, a wooden sword, and what seemed to be a broken old, stone headdress.

He saw shock and fear make their way onto the transfer's faces, and Link's hands twitch to over his shoulder.

The man lifted a hand, and in it sat a glowing blue stone, the same as the ones Link and Zelda wore. In one swift motion he crushed it into bits and pieces, all while wearing a frightening smile.

_They share the same fear?_ Harry thought, confused. The man let out a deep laugh, one that left chills running down Harry's spine.

[xxxxxx]

Stunned, Link stared at the image of Ganondorf. He saw Zelda stiffen beside him, and he resisted the sudden shudder that was making its way up his spine. He glared at the man, hands reaching to his pouch, where he stored the Master Sword. Although he remembered setting it back in the Sacred Grove, apparently it was now in his inventory. Not that he was complaining.

_I thought we killed this bastard already!_ Link thought furiously, taking a step forward. Zelda took a step back. His eyes caught onto the back of the man's green hand, and he froze.

_ Well would you look at that, the son of a bitch's got the full Triforce on his hand._

He glowered at the figure of Ganondorf, his terror running deeper than just for the man himself. No, it led all the way to Hyrule itself. With the presence of the King of Evil, the land would rot; leaving the people waiting for death, and the kingdom would fall apart. It would take decades, maybe centuries for another hero to rise if he were to fall.

Zelda apparently shared the same reasoning, as she gritted her teeth, face still managing to keep whatever calmness she had present. Harry was staring curiously at them and Ganondorf, as if waiting for a reaction.

"Hero of Twilight! Princess of Light!" The man's croaky voice cried.

Without a seconds thought, Link leapt up, sprinting towards the man that caused him months of pain and torture. His hand reached for his pouch, waiting until the last second to draw his sword. He was stopped by Harry. Ganondorf, who was also in mid leap, paused as well.

"That's only a boggart. They take on the form of one's worst fear," said Harry quickly.

"What's going on?" called a voice. They saw Lupin rush into the room, not hesitating in drawing his wand when he saw the boggart. Ganondorf transformed into a glowing, silvery sphere.

"_Riddikulus_!" shouted Lupin. The silver orb vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Oh-Oh-oh!" cried Mrs. Weasley, face buried in her hands. Her shoulders shook, and she broke into a new wave of tears. As Lupin comforted her, Link straightened up, hands shaking as he dusted off his clothes. Zelda too looked uncomfortable, and with the arrival of Sirius and Moody, they could only stand awkwardly to the side.

Mrs. Weasley's sobs began to die down, and Harry turned to look at Link.

"Who was that?" said Harry, eyes wide. It was almost as though he had been expecting them to stumble onto their knees and scream in terror.

"A horrid man. He caused many terrible things to happen back home." Zelda's voice was clear, but Link could just barely make out a small tremble in it.

"What was with the names he called you?" asked Harry. Link sighed.

"Old nicknames, just some made up titles," answered Link. He fiddled with his shirt, staring at the carpet where the boggart had been just minutes ago.

That night Link had trouble sleeping. He tossed and turned in his bed, the final battle with Ganondorf replaying itself over and over again in his mind. He was sure he had ended him. The Blade of Evil's Bane should have made sure that his presence would never disturb the land ever again. He shut his eyes tightly, remembering the wounds he had sustained in the fight, and the haunting laughter that followed with every move he made.

Link heard the snores coming from Ron's direction, but the rushed breathing from Harry told him that the other boy was still up too. He sat up, still keeping his legs underneath the warmth of his blankets.

"Harry?" he said, "you awake?"

"Yeah." The other boy sat up as well, kicking the covers off as he did so.

"Couldn't sleep, and I doubt I'll be getting much rest tonight," said Link, running a hand through his messy hair. He made a note, telling himself to comb it when he woke up tomorrow morning, otherwise Zelda would think him a scruffy ruffian, and-

"How _did_ you get those scars anyway? Was it because that man?" asked Harry, snapping Link out of his thoughts.

"…Sort of. He was like the puppeteer that pulled all the strings," said Link quietly. He pulled the collar of his shirt down, exposing a long scar jutting across his collarbone. "This was because I had my back turned, and a monster caught me off guard with a knife. You can sorta guess with what happened with the other ones." He finished with a small bitter smile.

Harry nodded, looking as though he was not sure what to say.

"Was he a wizard?" said Harry.

"More like a warlock," said Link ruefully. "He could transform into a great beast. It resembled a boar, and it's like three times bigger than both of us combined."

"Like an Animagus."

"Yeah," Link hummed. There was a pause between the two.

"That man, what was his name?" asked Harry tentatively.

Link's bright blue eyes turned three shades darker and he scowled. "Ganondorf."

[xxxxxxxx]

Harry dove back under his covers, shivering slightly at how much of the cold had seeped in. He heard Link do the same, and it was completely silent. Turning so that his back was facing the wall, he shut his eyes tightly, willing himself to fall asleep. His mind wouldn't let him. The memory of Ganondorf sparked some new suspicions, each one leading to another, and he furrowed his brow.

_There were a lot holes in their story. Who was Ganondorf? _Whatever questions he still had were left floating around in his head, and he soon drifted asleep, lulled by the sound of Link's calm breathing and Ron's snores.

* * *

Link jolted awake. He heard a couple of crashes coming from downstairs, soon followed by shouting. He sat up, throwing on clothes before making his way downstairs. Ron and Harry, it seemed, were already ahead of him.

From what he had heard, it seemed like the twins had bewitched a couple of trunks to float down the stairs, but only succeeding in knocking their sister upside the head.

Mrs. Black and Mrs. Weasley were both yelling at the top of their lungs when he entered the room. Everyone else was already there. Harry, it seemed, was to be accompanied by a guard for their trip to King's Cross. He had looked rather indignant about it, but there was nothing that could be done.

There was another shout from downstairs urging them to hurry up, and they quickly made their way down, dragging their trunks as they did so. A big black dog was awaiting them; tail wagging excitedly as he stared at them.

"…Oh for heaven's sake, Dumbledore told you not to go!" said Mrs. Weasley, as Link and Harry picked their way across the pile of luggage to reach her.

Sirius barked, and she sighed.

"Fine, but on your own head be it!" she said despairingly. Link grinned at the dog, patting his furry head as he did so. Sirius barked again, tail waving faster than ever. "Hurry!" Mrs. Weasley said as she ushered them out the door.

It took exactly twenty minutes to reach King's Cross, with nothing eventful happening, well except Sirius scaring a few dozen cats. Link glanced around amazed, studying the road, buildings, anything that was within sight really. Zelda, who was walking beside him, calmly observed the street.

"Wait, so we just walk through this wall?" said Link, looking incredulous.

"Yep," said Mrs. Weasley, gently shepherding them through it. Link and Zelda were the first ones through, and they stood awkwardly in the crowd, staring wide eyed as children of all ages and their parents passed them. The train whistled, and the others appeared.

"Hurry! Before it leaves without you!" said Mrs. Weasley distractedly, hugging each of them tightly.

They stepped onto the train, and waved goodbye through the open windows.

"Thank you!" called Link out the window as the train began to move. They spotted Sirius chasing after them on the platform; tail wagging furiously as he weaved through the crowd. They waved at him as well. As the station began to fade off into the distance, the twins quickly hurried off to find their friends, and so the Golden trio, Ginny, Link and Zelda were left alone.

"We should find a compartment," offered Harry.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.

"Well actually…" said Ron hesitantly. "Hermione and I have to go with the other prefects."

"Fine, go ahead," Harry said.

"I don't think we have to stay there the whole time," Hermione said quickly. "Our instructions only said to listen to the Head Boy and Girl first and occasionally patrol the corridors."

"Fine," repeated Harry. They left, and the rest were left to search for an open compartment. They lugged their trunks down the walkway, peeking into the windows to check if there was space or not. Most were all full.

As they looked inside each room, Link couldn't help but to notice the amount of people that stared at Harry, and he wasn't surprised at the curious glances shot at him and Zelda either. There were a lot of students, but Link and Zelda seemed to stick out oddly. In the last carriage they met Neville Longbottom, Harry's fellow fifth-year Gryffindor. His round face was wet with perspiration from carrying his trunk, and he held a toad with the other hand.

"Hello Harry," he greeted, smiling pleasantly at them. "Hi Ginny." He nodded shyly at Link and Zelda, and they smiled back. Or at least Zelda did, Link was staring at the wall, lost in thought.

They entered the last compartment, where a girl with long, dirty-blonde hair sat, reading an upside down magazine. She gave off an aura of distinct dottiness, with her wand tucked behind her ear, and a necklace of butterbeer hanging around her neck. No wonder Neville seemed reluctant to go in.

"Hi Luna, you mind if we take these seats?" said Ginny. The girl shook her head.

"Go ahead," she said airily. Harry, Neville and Link stowed the trunks and cages away and sat down.

Luna turned her wide blue eyes onto Link and Zelda. "You are Hylians, no? What are your names?"

Link choked on his spit, and Zelda's face twitched.

"W-what?" he managed.

"You are Hylians, are you not?" she repeated serenely. "You both carry the aura of one. Papa showed me in a book before."

"I-I have n-no idea what you're talking about, sorry. Never heard of the word 'Hylian' either," said Link nervously. He looked at Harry, who only shook his head.

"Oh," Luna said, obviously disappointed. "Papa said Hylians were really rare too." An awkward silence filled the compartment before Ginny spoke up.

"Have a good summer?" she said.

"Yes," said Luna dreamily. She turned to stare at Harry. "It was quite enjoyable, you know. _You're_ Harry Potter."

"Yes, I know," replied Harry. Neville chuckled, and she turned her pale eyes onto him.

"I don't know you."

"I'm nobody," said Neville hurriedly.

"No you're not," snapped Ginny. "This is Neville Longbottom. He's in the same year as Harry. This is Luna Lovegood, a fourth-year Ravenclaw."

_"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure_," said Luna in a sing-song voice.

Zelda beamed at her, and Link huffed.

"I never did get your names," Luna said, looking at the transfers again.

"Zelda Harkinian."

"Link," said Link before quickly adding, "Ordona."

"Pleasure to meet you, Zelda Harkinian and Link Ordona," said Luna good-naturedly.

"Like-wise."

Luna fell silent, raising her magazine high enough to cover her face. Harry and Neville looked at each other with their eyebrows raised, and Ginny giggled. The train rattled onward, speeding them onto an open countryside.

"Wow…" said Zelda. "I've never been on a train before."

"Really?" Harry said. She nodded, eyes still glued on the countryside before them, hands pressing against the glass.

"Have you?" said Harry, looking at Link, who was sitting in his seat, looking indifferent.

"Nope, but I've been shot out of a cannon before, it's not that different."

"Really?" Harry said again.

"No."

Neville began speaking with Harry, an excited look on his face. He was showing off some sort of plant. He poked at it, and it squirted liquid, covering every inch of surface inside the compartment. Link, who had been dozing, leapt up surprised.

"What in Nayru?!" he cried, flapping his arms desperately in hopes of shaking the gunky liquid off. "Is this poison?!"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Neville blubbered, "It's from this plant. Stinksap's not poisonous." He shifted his gaze onto the plant. "I didn't expect that to happen, didn't realize it'd be so…"

Link spat a mouthful of the liquid onto the floor, and he grinned at Harry when he did the same.

The door of the compartment slid open, and a pretty girl with long black hair peeked in, looking slightly sheepish.

"S-sorry, bad time?" she said nervously.

"…Um, hi," said Harry blankly.

"…Ah, well, I thought I'd drop by and say hello," she continued, "well…bye then." The door slid shut.

"Your girlfriend?" said Link.

"…No, that was Cho Chang, a friend. She's a sixth-year Ravenclaw." Harry slumped back into his seat and groaned.

"Smooth as crunchy peanut butter," Link teased. Harry glared at him, and Link laughed.

"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. She pulled out her wand. "_Scourgify!_"

The sap inside the compartment disappeared, and Link picked at his clothing, checking to see if every bit of it was gone.

Ron and Hermione did not return until an hour later. Link and Zelda had finished all their pumpkin pasties, and were busy examining the cards from inside the chocolate frogs. The door slid open once more, and Ron and Hermione slipped in, accompanied by Crookshanks and a shrilly hooting Pigwidgeon.

"I'm starving," said Ron, stowing his luggage away and throwing himself onto the seat next to Harry, grabbing a Chocolate Frog and ripping the package open. With the group complete, the next half an hour was filled with excited chatter and laughter.

The door to the compartment slid open a third time and they all looked up.

"Din-dammit," Link cursed, "next time just climb through the window or something."

A boy with platinum blond hair strode in, two buff looking boys following him on each side.

"What?" said Harry aggressively. Link studied the trio, and he nodded, eyes closed.

_He seems like the type_, he told himself.

"Manners Potter," the blond boy drawled. "Or I'll have to give you detention." His eyes caught the new faces sitting inside the room, and he smiled.

"Who are you? And why are you sitting with these losers?" The boy asked.

"I'm Zelda Harkinian, and this is Link Ordona, we're transfers," said Zelda stiffly. She held out a hand, which the boy shook carefully. This was the Zelda that dealt with her work with the kingdom; cold and calculating.

_An ice queen,_ he thought, amused.

"Draco Malfoy, but just call me Malfoy," the boy replied. "I've never heard of the name 'Harkinian' before, are you a pureblood?"

Zelda hesitated, trading a small look with Link before nodding.

"Ah yes, why don't you follow us to our compartment, there's more than enough room," Malfoy invited. He was clearly ignoring Link, and rolled his eyes.

_Clearly, I don't look 'high-class' enough. What an ass-twat,_ he thought, annoyed.

"Buzz off, Malfoy. They're fine where they're sitting now," Ron snapped. Malfoy turned his cold stare onto the red-head.

"Be quiet, Weasley. How _you_ got the title of prefect, is a mystery we all wonder about," said Malfoy, an edge in his voice.

"Shut up," said Hermione sharply. The boy ignored her.

"So, where are you from?" Malfoy asked in Zelda's direction.

"North America," Link cut in before she could open her mouth.

"Where in North America?" said Malfoy, his mouth twitching in annoyance.

"We're from the north of the south part." There were a few snickers in the room. Malfoy sighed, giving up. He and his posse **(pfft)** turned towards the door, and slid it open. Before they left, however, Malfoy turned to them one last time.

"It must feel nice being only _second best_, Potter," he drawled. "You watch your step, because I'll be_ dogging_ your footsteps in case you step out of line." The door slammed shut.

The weather remain undecided as they got farther and farther up north. Rain pounded on the windows, only to let up with the weak appearance of the sun, which shined for a few minutes before retreating back into the clouds again.

"Well, we should all change now," said Hermione lastly. She and Ron were pinning their prefect badges onto their chests. They threw on their robes as the train slowly began to a stop. Link however, was struggling with his clothes, and a small blush colored his face when Zelda yanked it to its correct position. Outside their compartment was the usual racket as everyone scrambled to get their luggage and cages together.

Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this, and so they got up and left before them. Link and the others were left alone, and they made their way off the train as well. The cold night air stung Link's face, and he could see the light from a lantern swinging about as they moved forward.

"Where's Hagrid?" said Harry, peering over the sea of heads. Ginny shrugged.

In front of them stood hundreds of horse carriages, and the students piled into them, not so much as a glance towards the black, demonic horses.

_Damn, it's like Epona and a stalhound made a baby, _Link thought. He instantly trashed the images popping up in his head. _Disgusting_.

"Harry?" said Link, pointing at the carriages. "What are those horse things?"

The black haired boy looking in that direction, and did a double take.

"I don't know. This is the first time I've seen them. I don't know why they're there either; the carriages are supposed to move themselves," Harry said, looking a tad confused.

Hermione and Ron joined them a moment after, and Harry repeated the question, turning his head towards the carriages. The two prefects stared uncomprehendingly.

"What horses?" said Ron.

"_Those_ horses!" said Harry impatiently, jabbing a finger at the front of the carriages.

"Harry, there's nothing there," said Hermione, her tone slightly concerned. "The carriages pull themselves." Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder and swiveled him around until he was face to face with one of the horse's muzzle. Ron stared blankly at it.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Big demonic Satan horses," Link said out of the corner of his mouth. "They're right there."

"Can't…can't you see them? Link can, and I bet Zelda can too," said Harry. Zelda gave a half-hearted nod when her name was mentioned; her attention was on the castle.

Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking perplexed and a bit worried.

"You guys feeling alright?" asked Ron, giving them the once-over.

"Absolutely," replied Link. Link followed them as they headed towards the carriages, and as Link neared one of the horses, it reached its face out and gently bumped his head. It snorted softly, and nudged him forward. He awkwardly patted his snout, and hurried off to the others as no one else saw the exchange.

They got into one of the carriages, a bewildered look still plastered onto Harry's face.

"Don't worry, I can see them too," said a dreamy voice. Link looked at Luna, who was sitting quietly against the window.

"You can?" said Zelda, surprised. Luna nodded.

"Yes. I've been able to since my first day here," she said. "It's alright; you're just as sane as I am."

Link let out a bark of laughter.

* * *

**Well then that's it folks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter too! I'm finally finished with all my tests and stuff, so…yeah. Yay. Also, I would like to address Link and Zelda's fear. I know it's quite cliché and all that, cuz Ganon's so overused and all, but I honestly believe that Ganon could and would destroy Hyrule, and ain't nobody want that. Since they've returned to their fifteen year old bodies, and with all that stress about dying and all, I'd thought Link and Zelda would need to loosen up a bit, maybe be a little less mature. **

**Mighty thanks to Apeman342, OverLordy, and jester-hat for doing the follow/fave button thing. **

**XHikariSoraX: Well since Harry's got his o' scar, I'd thought they might not want to dig too deep, and Link had also dived straight into bed as well, heh. **

**Thatstarpleoverthere: Thanks! And I think your question was already answered, lol. **

**Shadows from Twilight: I don't really know what I was thinking when I made the whole Canada thing up, but hey, I'll stick with it. Thanks for reviewing too!**

**Thanks everybody! Your reviews and stuff make me super happy! Until next chapter then, **

**Doodle.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my friends! **

**(Revised)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. The Legend of Zelda and Harry Potter belong to their respective owners, thank you very much.**

Chapter Six

"Come on!" said Ron as they followed the crowd up the stone steps. Zelda glanced around, amazed. As she studied the Great Hall, a sudden cold chill coursed down her spine, and her breath hitched. Shaking her head, she looked at the ceiling to try and distract herself.

"W-what?" she squeaked. Link raised his head to look and he let out a low whistle.

"The ceiling's enchanted to look like the sky. If it's raining outside, then will appear like it's raining here, and so on," explained Hermione, leading them to one of the four long tables. Zelda hesitated a bit before sitting down.

"We haven't even been sorted yet, are we allowed to sit here?" asked Zelda hesitantly. Harry shrugged.

"There's no where else for you to sit, and you're both welcome here," he said. They both sat down, jaws agape, the strange interior holding their attentions.

"Amazing, in' it?" grinned Ron. They quickly nodded. Link swiveled his head, and stared at one of the ghosts.

"Are…are they real?" Link said, eyes widening even more.

"Yes, they're the disembodied spirit of a once-living witch or wizard. Now they just roam around Hogwarts," explained Hermione, looking amused at their expressions.

_So they're kind of like Poes,_ thought Zelda, a small shiver crawling up her spine. _But much much less creepier._ She looked to her left, where Luna had been, and saw her drifting over to another table with a blue and yellow color scheme.

More people filed in, filling up the tables, and she saw some of the ghosts make small talk with a few students. She turned her gaze onto the front of the hall, and there sat a row of adults.

_The professors. _She recognized Professor McGonagall, and a couple others, many of which had set foot in the Grimmauld Place one time or another. Her eyes caught a very toad-like lady, and Zelda sniffed. She wasn't one to comment on another's fashion choices, but there was only a certain amount of the same color one could pull off, and pink was not one of them.

"Who is _that_?" She heard Hermione say, and Zelda knew it was none other than that toad lady. Harry inhaled sharply.

"She was at my hearing, she works for Fudge."

"Nice cardigan," said Ron, smirking, and Link snorted.

Hermione was scanning the staff table, her eyes narrowed. The bushy haired girl mumbled something under her breath, but quickly dismissed it a second later.

As they spoke excitedly with one another, the door opened again, and a group of small children piled in, looking nervous but eager.

"The first years," said Hermione, a pleased smile on her face.

Professor McGonagall placed a rickety stool in the front them, which sat a tattered wizard's hat, heavily patched and a large rip near the fraying tips. She stepped off to the side, looking at it expectantly.

The Great Hall waited with bated breath, and the hat took a deep breath.

_Wait what?!_

The hat burst into song, and the whole hall was silent save for its voice, which was conveyed with much fervor. When it closed its mouth after delivering the final verse, it was met with a large round of applause, Zelda herself clapping along with enthusiasm.

"Branched out this year, hasn't it?" said Ron, eyebrows raised.

"Too right it has," said Harry.

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"The Sorting Hat usually just sings about the four founders of the school, and all their traits and stuff, but I don't remember it ever giving the school advice before," said Harry. He looked as though he was going to say more, but he stopped himself as Professor McGonagall began calling out the first year's names.

Each name was accompanied by a round of applause, the loudest coming from the new house of the student, Zelda noticed.

Slowly, the long line of first years thinned; in the pauses between the names and the Sorting hat's cries, Zelda could hear the sound of a couple stomachs rumbling loudly, and she hid a grin.

As the last name was called, the headmaster rose to his feet, eyes twinkling brightly as he surveyed the hall.

"Before we end the Sorting, I have two new students that I would like to sort," said Dumbledore, a pleasant smile gracing his face. "They are transfers from North America, and shall be studying here as fifth years for the time being." He looked to McGonagall, and waved his hand.

She cleared her throat. "Harkinian, Zelda!" Sending one last look to Link, she steeled herself and walked up to the front, ignoring the curious looks of the many students as she did so. She was a couple feet away from the hat before it muttered something.

"…Wisdom." Zelda paused, and the hat took another deep breath. "_RAVENCLAW_!" Surprised, she turned around, and made her way towards the blue and yellow table, smiling softly at the welcoming expressions. She sat down next to Luna.

"Does that usually happen?" Zelda said quietly. Luna shook her head dazedly.

"Not that I know of," said the blonde airily. Zelda nodded, and turned to look at the front again.

"Ordona, Link!" called McGonagall. Link stood up warily, seemingly oblivious to the not so quiet whispers coming from the majority of the girls. He too ignored the inquisitive stares as he made his way to the front.

"…Courage," the hat muttered when Link was a few feet away. "But where's Power?" Zelda stiffened, and Link's expression was suddenly wooden. He stepped carefully towards it, but it called out with Link still a couple steps away.

"_GRYFFINDOR!_" There was a hearty cheer coming from the table of Lions, and Link sat back down, smiling cheerfully as the other Gyffindors welcomed him. He shot a quick look at Zelda, which she returned, giving a small nod as well.

"Thank you very much," said Dumbledore, still standing. "To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands-welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but now is not the time. Tuck in!" He finished, arms spread out wide, and a beaming smile on his lips.

There was an appreciative laugh throughout the hall, and an outbreak of applause sounded as Dumbledore threw his beard over his shoulder to keep it off his plate. Food had appeared out of nowhere, and dishes upon dishes filled with meats, vegetables, and pies floated in, and sat themselves onto the tables.

_Amazing…_Zelda gaped. She daintily filled her plate, eyes glowing as she spotted all her favorites. _This tastes delicious!_ She thought, patting a hand onto her cheek.

It was not long until the plates and food cleared up, and Zelda sighed, satisfied as she watched the cutlery float away. The noise level was beginning to die down, and Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. Zelda listened intently as he spoke, and smiled slightly at the sly glances shared between Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"We have two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking over Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce the Professor Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

There was a polite round of applause sounding throughout the hall, and Zelda noted that it wasn't very enthusiastic.

Dumbledore continued. "Tryouts for the Quidditch-"

The headmaster broke off, looking at Umbridge curiously. So the light, sickly sweet cough had come from her.

"_Hem hem."_

Umbridge definitely had a speech planned. "Thank you for those kind words of welcome, headmaster," she simpered. Her voice was high-pitched, and sounded rather girly too.

Zelda forced herself to pay attention to the woman's monologue, pinching herself on the arm when she felt her attentiveness ebbing.

It was obvious what the Ministry was trying to accomplish, but she doubted it would be as simple as they planned. Umbridge gave a small bow at the end of her speech, which was accompanied by some half-hearted applause.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore said. "Now-I was saying, Quidditch tryouts…"

Zelda paid little attention to Dumbledore's words, and the rest of the evening passed in a blur. Blinking suddenly, Zelda stood up with the other students, and pushed against the current of students, making her way towards the Gryffindor table.

"Link!" she called. He strode over to her, and looked at her curiously.

"What is it?" said Link. "You should follow your fellow Ravenclaws; otherwise you're going to get lost."

Zelda shook her head frantically. "No, this is important."

Link gestured for her to continue.

"I didn't have a chance to see when we came here last time, nor did I see it when we were outside. But Link, Hogwarts is exactly the same as Hyrule Castle."

**So that's it for this chapter. Anyway, I have something important to tell you guys. I shall be changing the plot at the beginning, and the first chapter will be almost entirely rewritten. Except for the first few (one and two) chapters, there won't be too many changes, since y'all don't know the whole plot and all, but just saying. **

**Future reader, ignore this if I have already changed it, just keep doing what you're doing.**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed or follow/faved it, you guys make me super happy!**

**XHikariSoraX: Malfoy is quite a snob, but my sister adores him, heh. (For some reason)**

**Yuyake no Okami: I was grinning when I wrote that scene, and I didn't realize how flirty Malfoy sounded until after, but it only made it better XD**

**Shadows from Twilight: I pm'd you, but thanks anyway! I absolutely despise editing, and it's usually conventions that f*** me up on school essays, heh heh. **

**Thank you to everyone that's reading this story, and please review!**

**Doodle**


	7. Chapter 7

**Good to see you all! I hope you liked what I did with the story, and I'm just glad that I've finally gotten it out of my system. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Harry Potter and the Legend of Zelda belong to their respective owners, thank you very much.**

* * *

Chapter Seven

"W-what?" answered Link. Zelda dragged him away from the mass of students, and into a quiet corridor.

"This place, it looked familiar, didn't it?" Link nodded. "While there are a few differences with the architecture and design, the structures of the two buildings are essentially the same."

Link sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't notice, but the hallways in Hogwarts _do_ look rather similar to Hyrule Castle's, huh."

"Yes. If we were to take the blueprints of both castles, I think we'd find them to be basically the same," said Zelda. It was much quieter now; the majority of the students having returned to their houses to unpack and settle in.

"We should go to our dorms too," Link suggested. "We can sort this out later, and heck, it could probably explain a few things too."

"Of course. You know where to go?" responded Zelda.

"Nope," Link grinned. "I think I'll just ask around, maybe try a few paintings."

Zelda nodded. "Good idea."

"Well, I'll see you in the morning then, princess. Don't get lost and starve to death," he said, turning around and heading in the general direction of the Gryffindor dormitories.

"I highly doubt that will happen," Zelda snorted. He heard footsteps heading into the other direction. "Goodnight, hero," she added quietly.

* * *

Link leaned against the wall next to the Fat Lady's portrait.

_"You're not allowed in unless you have the password," _the Fat Lady had said. Link blew into his cheeks, and lightly tugged on his earring. He heard footsteps nearing him, and he perked up.

It was a first-year. Link put on a cheery smile, and turned to the nervous looking student.

"Hello, uh, I don't know the password, and I'm sort of locked out," said Link. "Do you by any chance know the password?"

The first-year nodded quickly, and faced the painting.

"_Mimbulus mimbletonia!" _

"Correct," the Fat Lady said as she swung open. Link shot a grateful look at the first year and rushed off.

The Gryffindor common room had a homey feel to it, and Link instantly felt relaxed as he stepped inside. A fire crackled merrily on one side, and around it sat a few students warming their hands. The place was scattered with dilapidated armchairs and rickety old tables, and Link noticed the twins pinning something onto the notice board.

He waved at them, and after asking a couple students, Link headed straight towards the door that lead to the boy's dormitories. He saw his name on a plaque outside a room, and made his way inside.

"Hey," Link greeted. He stopped as he saw Harry and another boy argue, and watched the exchange with interest. Neville edged towards him.

"Harry got mad when Seamus, the other boy, said that his mom didn't want him to come back to Hogwarts," Neville explained. Link looked at him in question.

"Seamus' mom read the Daily Prophet, which is spreading lies and trying to cover up everything that happened last year, that's why Harry got mad," Neville continued. Link nodded, and maneuvered around the two to get to his bed.

"Link, you believe all this rubbish he's been spouting about You-Know-Who or you reckon he's telling the truth?" Seamus asked aggressively.

"I'm just a country bumpkin," Link responded evasively, "I wouldn't know."

Link pushed his trunk aside, and pulled out his nightclothes. He tucked his pouch away carefully, and donned his pajamas. Ignoring the other boy's fight, which was only getting louder and louder, Link dove under the covers and shut his eyes.

It seemed like Ron had arrived, and it was quiet for just a moment.

"He's having a go at my mother!" Seamus yelled.

"Harry wouldn't do that," said Ron. "We've met your mother, she's nice…"

They continued to yell at each other, and Link clamped a pillow over his ears; a feeble attempt to drown out the noise.

The noise died down after a while, and Link relaxed the pillow that was held tightly around his head. He sighed softly and wiggled deeper into his blankets.

* * *

Link sat up slowly, and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He yawned widely, and groggily looked around the dorm. He noticed that he was the only one left.

_Shit! _He cursed, and quickly threw his clothes on. He struggled with his robe as he walked out of his dorm. He checked to see if his wand was still there, and continued down the stairs after making sure that it was. As he entered the common room, he spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione grouping around the bulletin board.

"Good morning," Link said cheerfully. At the sound of his voice, they looked up.

"Good morning," Hermione returned. Harry gave a small nod, and it seemed like he wasn't completely over last night's fight.

"Keep your head up," Link encouraged. "Don't listen to what they say. I believe you, and Dumbledore as well."

Harry smiled at that, and they followed the Ravenclaws down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Link craned his neck over the blue and yellow crowd, but there was no sign of Zelda.

"Man, I thought I had completely slept in," said Link as they walked. Ron piped up.

"Heh, you looked so peaceful, so we left you alone."

"Also, we tried waking you at the Grimmauld Place, and you flipped Ron onto his back. Didn't want a repeat of that happening," Harry added, grinning.

"Really?" Link had no recollection of that ever happening.

"Yeah! When we tried shaking you awake, you grabbed me by the arm and judo flipped me! After that you collapsed straight back into bed," said Ron good-naturedly. Link rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and the trio laughed.

They entered the Great Hall, and Link saw that the ceiling was reflecting today's crappy weather pretty well. Link didn't see Zelda anywhere, and he followed the trio towards the Gryffindor table.

Harry was greeted by a tall black girl, who had rushed up to Harry rather quickly.

"Hello Angelina. Congratulations on being captain," Harry said, grinning at her.

"Yeah well, we'll need a new Keeper, now that Oliver's gone," Angelina replied. "By the way, practice's at five. We'll need the whole team there, alright? Then we can see how the new person's going to fit in."

"Sure," said Harry. She smiled at him and departed.

There was a sudden _whoosh_ as hundreds of owls flew in, and they descended into the hall, laden with packages and letters, showering the breakfasters with droplets of water.

Link looked around amazed, and he saw Hermione move around her breakfast to make way for a bulky barn owl with a sodden newspaper held in its beak. She placed a Knut inside the leather pouch strapped to its leg, and it flew off.

"Why are you getting that for?" asked Harry irritably.

"It's best to know what the enemy's saying," Hermione replied darkly. She disappeared behind the newspaper for a while.

"Nothing," she said simply, rolling the newspaper up and setting it down beside her plate. "Nothing about you or Dumbledore."

Link took a swig from his orange juice, and was handed a schedule by Professor McGonagall.

"Look at today!" groaned Ron. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts…Now I wish I had some of those Skiving Snackboxes."

Fred and George popped up behind Ron at the mention of their product, and Link watched, amused at their exchange. Suddenly, Link felt someone breathe onto his neck, and he jumped.

"Pfft," Zelda snickered. He swatted at the hand that rested on his hair, and it only encouraged the princess to tussle it up more.

"Good morning, Zelda," said Link. "I didn't see you coming down for breakfast today."

"Slept in," Zelda replied swiftly. Link stared at her.

"You? Slept in?" he cried. "I think the world may just end right now!" Zelda smacked him non-so-gently on the arm, and he grumbled, rubbing the sore appendage.

"I had trouble sleeping last night," she said softly.

"Ah."

History of Magic was Link's first class, and having spent only five minutes in the room, Link was already bored back to death. The ghost who lectured the class had a crusty, wheezy voice that lulled even the most caffeinated student to sleep, and the lack of variation on the subjects taught only made harder to stay lucid.

Link yawned, and he took a moment to glance around the room. Harry and Ron were sitting with a glazed expression on their faces, and it seemed like the only people actually paying attention were Hermione and Zelda. They sat attentively, and were quickly scribbling down all of the professor's words.

_I need to borrow her notes_, Link reminded himself, not too picky with whose he would use. He absentmindedly doodled on the corner of his paper, and at the end of the last minute of class, Link studied his little masterpiece with great pride, still ignoring the ghost as he droned on.

He and Zelda got up together and exited the classroom as the bell rang. His next class was Potions with Professor Snape, which would be shared with the Slytherins.

"Well, good luck," said Zelda. "Don't blow up anything."

"No promises," Link responded, and he turned and followed Harry, Ron and Hermione down to the dungeons.

"So what's Professor Snape like anyway?" asked Link as they descended deeper into the castle.

"Well, in all honesty, he's a git," Ron said succinctly.

"Ronald!" said Hermione. Ron shrugged.

"It's true," said Harry. "He's the head of house for the Slytherins, so he always takes their side."

"He hates Gryffindors, especially us," Ron added. Link folded his arms across his chest.

"He sounds like a dick," commented Link, and Ron and Harry guffawed.

"Link!" said Hermione.

"What, you know it's true," said Ron.

"Yeah but…" Hermione said. "He's still a professor." They shrugged their shoulders, and continued down towards the dungeons.

They joined the queue that was lined up outside Snape's classroom, and after a while, the door opened with an ominous sound. The interior of the classroom fit the whole dungeon-y look, and the room made Link reminiscent of a chamber in the Arbiter's Grounds.

Link filed into the classroom behind the Golden Trio, and followed them to their table near the back.

"Settle down," said Snape coldly as he shut the door. "I would like to point out that you people will have a very important examination in June, and during of which, you will prove how much you know and have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. I expect all of you to scrape by with at least an Acceptable…or suffer my displeasure."

He turned his gaze towards Neville, who gulped.

"After this year of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the best into my NEWT potions class, which means many of you will be saying good-bye." His gaze lingered on Harry, and Link saw the boy glare back at him.

"But we still have a whole year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly. "Whether you are attending to attempt NEWT or not, I advise you concentrate your efforts on maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students."

"Today we will be making the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and sooth agitation. The ingredients are written on the blackboard, and be warned: if you are too heavy-handed, the potion will put the drinker into a heavy, or even irreversible sleep. Everything you need is in the cupboard. You have an hour and a half, you may begin now."

With ten minutes left before the time ended, Link was sweating profusely, not sure if the light, silvery vapor emitted from the potion was right or not. He glanced around the room, and saw a whole array of colors spouting from each cauldron.

"By now, a light silver vapor should be rising from your potion," Snape called out. Link sighed with relief, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He reached for his wand, which had been set onto the table next to the cauldron, and picked it up carefully.

Link made to tuck it away, but a tiny flick of his wand resulted in violent bubbling in his potion. There was a loud _boom_, and Link coughed, waving away the smoke around him. Multiple eyes were on him, but he kept his averted carefully at the professor.

Snape quickly sauntered towards him, a dark look in his eyes. Rubbing the soot out of his frizzled hair, Link meekly looked up at him.

"What is the meaning of this, Ordona?" Snape spat.

"I had the potion done correctly," Link said firmly, heart pounding as he stared at the professor. "But I accidentally flicked my wand at it, and it exploded."

"How?"

"Uh…" Link trailed off, not sure what to say. Snape shook his head, and peered inside the cauldron.

"Just bring me whatever's left," he said, and he turned to antagonize some other students. Link exhaled, relieved as Snape moved away from him.

After completely vaporizing Harry's potion, Snape faced the classroom and said, "Those of you that _have_ managed to read the instructions, fill a flagon with your potion, and turn it in with your name clearly labeled onto it."

Link quickly filled up his flagon, noticing Harry sitting slumped in his seat, and shot a look of sympathy to the boy. When the bell finally rang, Harry was the first one out of the classroom, and Link meandered out after Ron and Hermione.

They joined Harry at the Great Hall, who had already started his lunch and was now buttering his bread rather aggressively. Link looked up at the ceiling, and saw that the sky was now an even murkier gray.

_What poopy weather_, Link thought as he sat down. He saw Zelda step in, and cheerfully waved at her. Link began dishing a pile of food onto his plate, and he chugged a whole goblet of pumpkin juice as Zelda sat down next to him, ignoring the looks shot their way.

"You're a Ravenclaw," said Link, "You sure it's okay to sit here?"

Zelda shrugged. "Is there a rule stating I can't sit here?"

"Not that I know of, it's just usually not done," answered Hermione. Zelda lightly tugged on a lock of Link's singed hair, and she looked at him, silently demanding an explanation.

"…My potion exploded," Link groused. Zelda flicked him on the forehead.

"I told you not to blow anything up!" she chided exasperatingly.

Link rubbed his brow, glaring at her. "I had the potion down correctly, and I even followed all of the instructions."

"But you accidentally waved your wand at it-" said Ron.

"-and it exploded," finished Harry.

"Smooth," giggled Zelda, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes.

_We'll talk about it later_, was the unspoken message. Link nodded, and he turned back to his food.

"But man, Snape was really unfair," said Link in Harry's direction.

"Yeah, your potion wasn't nearly as bad as Goyle's. When he poured it into his flagon, the whole thing shattered and his robes caught on fire," said Hermione consolingly.

"Yeah, well," said Harry, glowering at his plate. "Since when has Snape ever been fair to me?"

None of the others answered.

Harry got up and left after Ron and Hermione began bickering, and it was after a while before Link and Zelda decided to head to the library. With half an hour left still left to kill, they thought it'd be best to make the most out of it.

Link reclined into an armchair, and stared blankly as Zelda leafed through the book in the chair next to him.

She turned the page loudly. "You're not going to help are you?"

"Depends. Do you actually want _my_ help? With books and reading?" Link scoffed.

"Well, if you put it like that…"

"Fine, I'll help. I'm not completely illiterate," Link sighed as he got up and fingered through the spines of the books packed together on the shelves. Zelda smiled softly, and fixed her attention back onto the book.

"Dumbledore says we're allowed into the Restricted Section; just show the librarian the pass he gave us," reminded Zelda, still not looking up from the book. "Remember: events in the past."

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

Link's next class was Divination, and fortunately, it was shared with the Ravenclaws. Link ascended the ladder leading to the trap door, and gave the classroom a quick survey before entering. He helped Zelda up, and they took their seats in table next to Harry's.

"Good day," said a misty voice. Link studied the professor, who was draped in shawls, and glittering with strings of beads. Her glasses reminded Link of an insect, with the lenses magnifying her eyes greatly. "And welcome back to Divination. I of course, have been carefully following your fortunes throughout break, and am delighted to see that you have all returned safely back to Hogwarts-as of course, I knew you would."

"You will see on your tables a copy of _The Dream Oracle,_ by Inigo Imago. Dream interpretation is a most important…" She trailed off, her wide eyes fixed onto Link and Zelda. Link blinked, and he fidgeted, slightly unnerved.

"Um…" Zelda began uncomfortably, as all eyes were on them.

"You…two…" said Professor Trelawney. "Your lifelines…have already ended, haven't they? You-you should not be alive…"

* * *

**Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to more in the future! **

**Special thanks to Milton the Blight Lord, Guests, SpriteBlazer, ShotaroxPhillip and Dragonspirit996 for reviewing! **

**ShotaroxPhillip: I purposely left the North America part in, cause well, they need a hometown and such, but thanks for noticing and telling me! Ganon is undecided, would you like him back? Hmmm….the rest might lead to spoilers, and Hyrule is only a light in the horizon; there is a possibility they might not get back. Hey, but who knows?**

**Guest: Thank you for reviews! And the idea of Draco and Zelda being friends don't sound that bad too, heh heh.**

**Dragonspirit996: Maybe, there's still a long way to go until the end, and a lot of things could change, ;) And thanks for dropping a review!**

**Your feedback would be greatly appreciated, so please review and stuff too! Thank you all,**

**Doodle**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello there readers! I hope you liked that cliff hanger I left for you, heh heh. **

**They're very convenient, but frustrating to read, eh? I also should redraw the cover image to fit the story, but that's work for another day.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and the Legend of Zelda. If I did, this story would not exist. And I would be rolling in dough.**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Zelda felt a sudden chill run up her spine, and nervously stared at the professor.

"Excuse me?" she said, sweating slightly. Professor Trelawney stared even harder at them, and pushed up her glasses.

"Let me see your hand," said the professor. Zelda hesitated, and slowly extended the appendage. Professor Trelawney grabbed hold of it and narrowed her eyes, looking deeply concerned as she studied Zelda's palm. She snatched Link's hand as well, earning a grunt of surprise, and held the two hands next to each other.

"Strange…the life lines on both of your palms end at the same place," she murmured. "Your auras…it reeks of death." The rest of her mumblings were lost to them, and she let go of their wrists after a minute.

Zelda drew back her hand quickly, rubbing it self-consciously. Next to her, Link looked uncomfortable, and he was staring down at his hands, avoiding the intense gazing of the professor. It was quickly dismissed by the rest of the class, and Professor Trelawney spoke up.

"Dream interpretation is a most important means of divining future and one that may very probably be tested in your O.W.L Not of course, that I believe examination passes or failures are of the remotest importance when it comes to the sacred art of divination. If you have the Seeing Eye, certificates and grades matter very little. However, the headmaster likes you to sit the examination, so…"

Her voice trailed away delicately, continuing as though the past few minutes had not happened.

"Turn, please, to the introduction and read what Imago has to say on the matter of dream interpretation. Then divide into pairs. Use _The Dream Oracle_ to interpret each other's most decent dreams. Carry on."

Zelda flipped open the book and her eyes quickly traveled over the words, absorbing each and every detail with vigor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Link mirror her actions, albeit more sluggishly.

The textbook took up a good majority of the class, and it was with only ten minutes left that Link and Zelda finally got to actually interpret their dreams.

"I don't usually remember my dreams," began Link, "but last night, I dreamt that Zant, the creep, he crept up to my bed, and-"

Zelda cut Link off with a wave of her hand. "I do not wish to know any further."

Link blushed, "Not that way! He stole my house keys and took Epona away. Pretty sure he licked me a few times too…" He shuddered, and flipped around in the textbook. "So what the hell does that mean?" he said.

"No idea," answered Zelda.

"…I don't want to know anyway," Link said, resting his head on his hand. "What about you?"

Zelda's eyes darkened. "I…I think it was something bordering a memory." Link's head snapped up, and he silently urged her to continue.

"I-" Zelda started.

"Now, that's the end of today's class!" called Professor Trelawney. "For homework, I'm assigning a dream diary, which you will need to keep for the next month, make sure to write down any dreams you have!"

They exited the North Tower silently, trailing behind Harry and Ron. Probably by the hand of Dumbledore, Link and Zelda shared many classes with the Golden Trio, and it also made it much easier to navigate around too.

When they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Umbridge was already sitting behind the desk, in all her fluffy, pink, glory. The class was silent as it entered; the being of Umbridge still an enigma to them.

"Well, good afternoon!" she said, as the whole class finally sat down. There was a mumbled reply back. Professor Umbridge clucked her tongue.

"Now, that won't do," she said, "I should like you to reply with 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time please. Good afternoon class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge!" the class chanted back.

_What are we, elementary school children?_ Zelda hissed in her head.

"There, that was much better," Professor Umbridge said sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please." The class exchanged gloomy looks at the 'wands away' part, and shuffled out their stationary.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, and dove straight into the guidelines of this class, which had magically appeared onto the blackboard.

For a few minutes, there was only the sound of quills scratching against paper as Umbridge had told them to copy everything down.

"Does everybody have a copy of _Defensive Magical Theory _by William Slinkhard?" asked Professor Umbridge as the class finished copying down the course aims.

Again, there was a jumbled reply, with the majority letting out a dull murmur of assent.

"I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I ask a question, I expect you to reply with a 'Yes, Professor Umbridge', or a 'No, Professor Umbridge'. So everybody's got a copy of _Defensive Magical Theory_ by William Slinkhard?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang throughout the room.

"Good," she said. "I would like you to turn to page five and read chapter one. There is no need for talking."

Zelda flipped open the textbook, and skimmed through its contents, having already read the whole thing back at the Grimmauld Place. Next to her, Link was staring at a single paragraph, not shifting his eyes and staying on the same page for a couple minutes. Worried Professor Umbridge might notice, Zelda gently (not really) pinched him on the arm, and he inhaled sharply.

Link glared at her, but turned the page anyway. Zelda turned back to her book, and leafed through the chapter with apathy.

In front of them, Hermione put her hand up, and stayed there for a while before Professor Umbridge acknowledged her.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she said, as if just noticing Hermione.

"Not about the chapter, no," Hermione replied. "I've got a query about the course aims." She added the last part after seeing the professor's mouth open in a question.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.

"And your name is-?"

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about _using_ defensive spells."

"_Using_ defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to _use_ a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

There were a number of inputs from the students exclaiming their disbelief, and Zelda bit her lip, a plethora of examples on the tip of her tongue that would put the professor's statement to shame.

Professor Umbridge seemed like she was getting frustrated with the class. "Just who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" She grit out, voice still horribly sweet.

Harry looked like he had something to say, but was beat by Link.

"Quite a lot of things, actually," Link stated rather amiably. Professor Umbridge turned to look at him.

"For example, Mister-?"

"Link Ordona," said Link.

"Ah, Mr. Ordona," Professor Umbridge said. "Could you give an example?"

"Hmmm…" Link said, tapping his chin with an index finger, a hard, sarcastic edge in his voice. "You know, the usual; basically anything with a brain."

"Could you please clarify?" Professor Umbridge smiled a sickly sweet smile.

"Ah, but, we're so delectable, us children," said Link, a scornful smile on his face. "What's stopping a monster, or just humans in general from attacking us?"

Professor Umbridge's smile hardened. "The Ministry makes sure that everyone is safe, there is nothing to worry-"

"A government can involve themselves only so much in each individual's life," Zelda cut in harshly. "If the Ministry really is trying to focus on making it safe for everyone, why are there still so many patients in St Mungo's?"

"And you are-?" Professor Umbridge turned her frozen smile onto Zelda.

"Zelda Harkinian," she answered.

"Miss Harkinian, accidents happen. The Ministry couldn't possibly prevent such little mishaps, though we try our best," Professor Umbridge said patronizingly.

"It's _because_ accidents happen that we need to actually be able to _use _defensive spells," Zelda bit back.

"Oh! I've got another one," Link chimed. "But I think Harry wants to say it." He smiled at the black haired boy.

Professor Umbridge whirled around to look at him.

Harry looked mock thoughtful. "Someone that wants to attack us…I don't know, maybe _Lord Voldemort_?"

There was an almost audible cringe sounding from the room, and Professor Umbridge stared at Harry with a grim satisfied look.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."

The class was silent, with all the students eyeing either Professor Umbridge or Harry.

"Now, let's make a few things quite plain."

Professor Umbridge stood up and leaned towards them, her stubby hands splayed across her desk.

"You've all been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead-"

"He wasn't dead," said Harry angrily, "but yeah, he's returned."

"Mr. Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-House-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worst-for-yourself," said Professor Umbridge in one breath, not even glancing at Harry. "As I was saying, you have all been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. _This is a lie._"

"It is NOT a lie," said Harry. "I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention!" said Professor Umbridge triumphantly. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, _this is a lie_. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners.'"

She sat down at her desk again. Harry, however, stood up. All eyes were on him.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Harry asked, voice shaking.

There was a collective intake of breath from the class, for none of them, apart from Ron and Hermione, had ever heard Harry talk about what happened the night Cedric died.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Professor Umbridge said coldly.

"Last I heard," interrupted Link, "people don't just fall down dead; it was murder."

"Detention!" Professor Umbridge snapped. "It will be the same time as Harry's."

"Voldemort killed him, and you know it," said Harry, whole body trembling slightly.

Professor Umbridge's face was carefully blank, but it looked like she wanted to scream at them. She quietly called Harry over, and handed him a pink slip.

"Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear," she said. Harry walked out of the classroom, anger highlighting all of his features.

"Now then, the rest of you continue your reading," she ordered. Link 'che'd, but stared down at the book anyway, not wishing to draw anymore attention.

* * *

Link sat next to Zelda, chewing his steak quietly as he listened to the rumor mill spread around the news of Harry's shouting match with Umbridge. Harry was sitting on the other side of the table, and he seemed to grow more irritated with each passing comment.

"Thank you, for today," said Harry, setting down his fork and knife as he looked at Link and Zelda.

Link shrugged. "I was only doing what I thought was right."

Zelda nodded in agreement. "The Ministry's trying to keep the people blindfolded, and by doing so, they're using you and Dumbledore as scapegoats."

Harry sighed, "What I don't get, is why they all believed the story two months ago when Dumbledore told them…"

"The thing is, Harry, I'm not sure they did," said Hermione grimly. "Oh, let's get out of here." She slammed down her own fork and knife; Ron looked sadly at his half-finished apple pie but followed suit.

"We'll meet you later," said Link, another piece of steak hovering near his mouth. Harry nodded, and the trio left the Great Hall.

Link quickly cleaned off his plate and sighed contently. "I could get used to eating like this everyday."

Zelda smiled at him, a fork hanging out of her mouth. "Keep it up, and you're going to get fat."

"I don't even care," replied Link. "The food's worth it."

Zelda laughed, and pushed her plate forward. "You done?"

"Yep." Link stood up, and walked next to Zelda as they exited the Great Hall.

There was no destination in mind, and both were content with just wandering the halls. Link thought of offering to go to the library, but decided against it. They had already spent enough of their day there.

"About…what you said today in Divination…" began Link hesitantly. Zelda's head snapped up.

"Ah," she said. "Yes. My dream."

"It was last night?" asked Link. She nodded.

"It was incredibly muddled," said Zelda. "And we were in the Sacred Grove, near the Doors of Time."

"Doing what?" Link prompted.

"…Nothing," she answered. "We were just standing there, and you moved your hand, but the scene kept on replaying itself, over and over…over and over…" she trailed off, her eyes lost.

"It's okay," Link said hurriedly, gently setting a hand onto Zelda's shoulder. Light returned to her eyes, and the sharp, silver orbs gleamed once more.

"We have homework," said Zelda, smiling softly at him, the past few minutes already pushed aside.

"Are you returning to your House?" Link said. Zelda nodded.

She turned in the direction of the Ravenclaw House. "Rest up well, Hero."

"G'night, Zelda," said Link. As he made his way towards his House, Zelda's voice called out to him.

"There was a purple fairy."

Link swiveled his head around, and saw her looking at him. He opened his mouth into a question, but Zelda had already begun to leave. He sighed, confused, and entered the Gryffindor common room.

He ignored the Golden Trio, who were sitting in the armchairs around the fireplace, and headed towards the dorms. Shutting the door quietly behind him, Link quickly changed and dove under the covers of his bed.

He fell asleep immediately.

* * *

**That's a wrap for this chapter! I hope y'all enjoyed it! The plot is thickening too, and I've got quite a few things planned, heh heh heh heh. Oh yeah, please inform me of any mistakes I make, and feel free to criticize and comment on this story, it will help me immensely, thank you. **

**A large thank you to Isli, SpriteBlazer, MissMoe, Shadows from Twilight, Dragonspirit996, SkaianClouds, and XHikariSoraX for reviewing! You guys make me incredibly happy!**

**SpriteBlazer: Well, Dumbledore obviously wants Link and Zelda to share classes with Harry and the others, and I'm a bit lazy with coming up with schedules on my own, lol. But they won't share all of the same classes, but just for now. Maybe. But thanks for the review!**

**MissMoe: I feel sort of bad for Professor Trelawney, but she makes it possible to add stuff to my story without raising too much suspicion. Thanks for reviewing too!**

**Shadows from Twilight: I too, was looking forward to the part with Umbridge, and I tried to make it as best as I could. I can't really tell if it's funny, but I hope you liked it! Ta ta for now indeed. (Google is amazing. I'm such a loser, lol)**

**Isli: I'm grateful for the review and stay tuned for more! (did I really just say that? Pfft) **

**SkaianClouds: Thank you very much for reviewing! **

**Dragonspirit996: Ah but, my dear, suspicion is a given. And thanks for the review!**

**Feedback is greatly appreciated, and it tells me how I'm doing with this story, so please review! And maybe rate it too, please?**

**Thanks,**

**Doodle**


	9. Chapter 9

**Greetings, my dear readers! We ended off on a rather weird note, but worry not, it shall be cleared up in no time. Just not right now. Oh yeah, MissMoe, that is in fact Tael, Tatl is the yellow one. I get them mixed up all the time too.**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Link flew out of his covers, breathing ragged and heart pounding rapidly. He was sweating profusely, and he clutched at his chest in a weak attempt to calm the fast beating organ. It was still dark, and all of the other tenants of the dorm were fast asleep, tucked comfortably away into their blankets. He shakily made his way back onto his bed, and plowed a hand through his golden tresses.

Link sighed heavily and collapsed back onto his pillow. His heart was beating normally now, and he flipped himself onto his stomach, burying his face into the pillow in the process. The same dream plagued Link for days, yet he recalled nothing when he woke up, only knowing that they were all identical. There was one thing, however that he had made out and it was a faint silhouette of a yellow fairy.

He knew it was linked to Zelda's dream with the purple fairy, but Link had nothing to support the fact; intuition was the only thing he could rely on right now, as the library bore no fruit to the long research being put in by both the Hylians. Link sighed once more, and tried desperately to fall asleep. The dark shadows underneath his eyes were becoming more pronounced each day as the dreams haunted him at night, preventing him from actually getting any rest.

Link did not know how long he lied there, and there was already light peeking in through the windows when he finally began to nod off. The rest of the morning was lost to him, and he finally fell into some well deserved slumber.

The morning hustle and bustle of getting dressed woke Link up, and he sat up in a daze. His eyes wandered the room, and he saw Harry and Ron talking quietly as they finished pulling on their robes.

Link burrowed back into the warm covers, and growled, "Why won't the light shut up…" A prod to his stomach forced him into a sitting position again, and he rubbed his face lethargically.

"Well, good morning sleeping beauty," said Ron. The red head had one glimpse of Link before exclaiming, "Blimey, you look terrible!"

Link stared at him with half lidded eyes. "Thanks," he mumbled dryly, "I get that a lot." Ron laughed sheepishly.

"But seriously, you look like bloody hell, are you sure you're feeling okay?" said Harry.

Link crawled off his bed slowly, landing on all fours onto the floor. "I'm feeling perfectly fucking dandy." He pulled the white sleeveless t-shirt over his head, and switched on the school uniform, sluggishly buttoning the buttons incorrectly. They were misshapen, with one button skipping down three, and the hem of his shirt hung lopsidedly.

He yawned loudly. "I feel like shit," Link groaned. "Just…ten more hours of sleep…would be nice."

Harry looked at him with sympathy, but held him steady by the shoulder nonetheless. "Sorry bud, but you still gotta go to class."

They walked down into the common room where Hermione was waiting for them. Harry and Ron greeted her, and Link shuffled along quietly behind them.

"God! Link you look horrible!" she said.

Link grimaced. "I've heard."

They entered the Great Hall, and Link looked up at the ceiling as it once again projected the dark and dismal sky above them. Link felt like his mood couldn't get any worse.

They sat down, and Link noticed that Zelda was already seated. She looked better than he did, but he saw the slight bags underneath her eyes as well.

"Mornin'," Link slurred. He dropped his head onto the table, and reached out blindly for a pot of coffee. It burned his hand when he came into contact with it and he cursed, but he grabbed it anyway and pulled it closer to him. He poured himself a large mug of black coffee, and chugged it immediately. Link jolted up, cringing as the wave of bitterness crashed into his mouth, but he was feeling much more alert.

Link handed the pot over to Zelda, who mirrored his actions, though she did add a drop of cream and sugar. "You too?" he asked empathically. She nodded.

"Well, I guess it's settled that you're not a morning person," said Ron cheerfully. Link shot him with an oh-gee-you-don't-say look. The red head only snickered.

"On the bright side, we don't have Snape today," Ron said bracingly. Harry was looking at the staff table, but he turned back to his food after seeing that the person he was looking for was not present.

"Hagrid's still not here, huh?" Hermione said quietly.

"Hagrid?" Link said, glad that he could open his eyes properly without wincing.

"He's the groundkeeper of Hogwarts, and also the Care for Magical Creatures professor," said Hermione. "A huge man, but with a very big heart."

Link listened half-heartedly at the conversation around, opting instead to eat his breakfast and sip at a cup of very strong tea. Even with the caffeine from the black coffee, his eyelids felt heavy, and he rested his head on his arms, closing his eyes until class started.

He had double Transfigurations with Zelda today, and Professor McGonagall spent fifteen minutes lecturing over the importance of O.W.L.S, during of which Link tried very hard to stay awake.

"…Today we are starting with the Vanishing Charm," Professor McGonagall went on. "They aren't as hard as the Conjuring Charm, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will attempt this year."

Link had hesitantly raised his wand, fearing another explosion, and pointed it at the snail. He sighed in relief, when the snail continued to drag itself around, still fully intact. It was on his fifth try that he successfully managed to vanish the snail, and he let out a little whoop of delight.

_So I don't suck at everything_, he thought proudly. Professor McGonagall had walked over, eyeing the still moving slime trail appraisingly, and smiled softly at him.

"Good job Ordona, ten points to Gryffindor," she said. Link grinned at her.

"Thank you, professor," he replied with relish. Link felt a little smug when he saw Zelda struggling with her snail, which she had managed to only make half invisible. The princess wore a look of concentration on her face, and it was with five minutes left until the end of class that she finally succeeded.

Link shot her a goofy grin, in which she replied with a "quiet, you."

Link walked out of Transfiguration feeling quite refreshed, and he strolled alongside Zelda as they headed towards the Charms classroom. It went by pretty quickly, and soon Link was following Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the Care of Magical Creatures class.

_Oh, the Slytherins are here too,_ Link thought in his head with a flat voice. As they moved towards the center of the crowd, the blond guy from the train-Malfey, was it? -sneered at him, and Link returned the gesture with a sunny smile.

The lesson was about bowtruckles, and Link listened attentively, having always been fascinated by different creatures even as a young child. The lesson went smoothly, and Professor Grubbly-Plank had told them to grab some wood lice and a bowtruckle after her lecture, instructing the students to sketch the creatures onto their notepads.

As Link traced an outline of the bowtruckle's basic shape, his sharp ears detected Malfoy's snide comment about the Hagrid guy, and he saw Harry stiffen. Link decided not to intervene, but he was interested in their conversation, aware of the rivalry between the two students.

"…The stupid great oaf's got himself badly injured," Malfoy finished in an undertone.

"Maybe you will if you don't shut up," Harry shot back out of the side of his mouth. Link was now shading the drawing and he looked fairly focused, but he wore an amused expression as Harry and Malfoy continued to trade verbal blows.

The bell rung and Link packed away his notebook, and he trailed behind the Golden Trio as they headed towards the Herbology.

Students slowly trickled into the classroom, but Link paid no mind, instead focusing on a dull ache springing from the center of chest.

_What…_Link gripped his shirt, and shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Minutes later, Professor Sprout entered the classroom, and immediately began class with a speech on O.W.L.s. The topic transitioned to a funky looking plant, and during the middle of the professor's lecture, Link felt a sharp stab of pain blossom in his chest and he cried out. Link fell onto the floor writhing as he clutched at his torso.

"Oh my god!" Hermione cried. Link heard rushed footsteps shuffle over to him and worried voices before his vision went black.

* * *

Link felt like he was floating in water. His vision was blurred, but he could make out two small, glowing orbs. They tittered in hushed voices, and Link realized that they were fairies. One had a faint purple tint radiating off of it, while the other was a bright yellow.

The yellow fairy saw him. "Oh, would you look at that, he's awake." It was a female, judging by the tone of its voice.

"Ah, but not really. He's still technically unconscious," the purple one corrected, it sounded like a male. Link blinked slowly.

"W-where am I?" he asked tentatively. Both of the fairies gave a light, tinkling laugh.

"Why, you're nowhere, and everywhere!" the yellow fairy cried cheerfully. The image around Link started to waver, and he reached out with a hand, crying out as he did so.

* * *

Zelda sat next to the cot Link was lying on. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were on the other side, identical looks of worry on their faces.

"You know," Zelda began quietly. "Link was almost completely mute when I first met him." They looked up, surprised.

"Really?" Harry was the first to speak. Zelda nodded, eyes not leaving Link's prone figure.

"For almost a whole year that we were together, he had said a total of about five words."

"Wow," breathed Ron.

Zelda smiled. "It was a slow process, but bit by bit, he started speaking more. Even now he's still somewhat soft-spoken, but he seemed to have warmed up to you guys pretty quickly."

There was silence; save for the sound of Link's quiet breathing. Zelda glanced out the window, noticing that the sun had already set.

"You should go back to your House," Zelda suggested. "You still have other work, right? And Harry, you still have detention with Umbridge, don't you?"

Harry nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, but what about you?"

Zelda shook her head. "I'm already finished."

The Golden Trio reluctantly stood up. "Inform us when he wakes up," said Hermione gently. "No, actually, we'll come back when we're done too."

Zelda dipped her head gratefully as they headed towards the door. "Thank you."

"Don't stay here too late," called Ron as they were half-way out.

The hospital wing regained the silence it usually held, and Zelda sighed, pulling out a book and setting it on her lap. She flipped it open to a random page, but found that she couldn't concentrate at all. She huffed, annoyed as she set the book onto a nightstand next to her.

With nothing else to do, Zelda closed her eyes, and let her thoughts wash over her mind. Five minutes, ten minutes, then an hour had passed. She opened her eyes, feeling more refreshed then ever, and examined Link once more.

She gasped, and felt a small burst of excitement as she saw his eyelids flutter. Link let out a small groan, and shifted his position.

"Link!" said Zelda. His eyes snapped open, and he inhaled sharply. He warily glanced up at her, but after recognizing her face, his features softened and he relaxed.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded feverishly, and she continued. "What happened?"

Link looked down morosely. "It…it was painful for a second…then I passed out…I think." He paused. "Then I was floating, and there were two fairies...I think they were talking."

"Fairies?" Zelda inquired.

Link nodded. "One was purple, like the one you saw, and the other one was yellow."

"D-did they say anything?" Zelda asked excitedly.

"Yeah," answered Link. "'You're nowhere, and everywhere'." Zelda took a minute to mull over the words, but she drew a blank.

"I don't know what that means," Zelda responded dejectedly. Link hummed in response, and stillness fell like a blanket over both of them.

As if remembering something, Link pulled at the collar of his shirt, and looked down to see bandages wrapped around his chest. He frowned, and looked at Zelda in question.

"Oh," she said, fingering the sheets covering the mattress. "There was a fresh looking scar when we found you. It's not bleeding, but we wrapped for good measure."

Link nodded, but he still looked troubled. "How would I have gotten such a wound?"

"I know just as much as you," Zelda sighed dolefully. Straightening up, she stood up, fixing Link's askew covers as she did so. "I'm going back to the dorms. Madam Pomfrey told me you're staying here tonight, got it?"

"Sure."

"Don't leave, even if you feel alright, and try not to fall off-"

"Yes yes mother," Link interrupted with an amused smile. Zelda huffed, but her eyes shone with silent laughter and a ghost of a smile flickered on her lips. Brushing off invisible dust, she gathered her stuff and turned towards the door.

"I've finished most of your homework already, and I'll catch you up later on the stuff you missed, 'kay?"

"Thanks, you're a goddess-send," Link said happily.

Zelda grinned. "I know." She took a step out into the hallway, but whirled around and faced the invalid again. "Next time, do inform me when you get those dreams, please."

The door shut with a loud _thump_.

* * *

**Whelp, I tried to make this before or on Valentine's Day, but I completely failed, so accept this as a late present. I spent the whole of yesterday replaying Pokemon Platinum, and have no excuse for not updating sooner, so I apologize. **

**I must also apologize to Shadows from Twilight once again for getting your username wrong, I'm terribly sorry. **

**Miss Moe: I can't wait to reveal their deaths, so look forward to it! I'm glad you enjoyed their exchange with the pink toad; it was very fun to write! I'm super happy that you like this story too, and thanks for the review! (I've ended every sentence here with an exclamation point, ugh) **

**SpriteBlazer: *cackles* I've got a good idea for the blood quill, hehehe. The toad's gonna freak (to a certain degree). Anyway, thanks for reviewing!**

**Dragonspirit996: Thanks for dropping a review! I hope you look forward for more :D**

**Oreo Stories: Thank you very much! I reread my earlier chapters, and I can't help but to cringe, lol. And to be honest, this is my first story outside of school, so it still might suck, but thanks!**

**Milton the Blight Lord: True, there hasn't been a lot of action, and I don't know if this chapter counts, but don't worry, I can guarantee it for future chapters! And thanks for the review too!**

**Erainor: I'm delighted that you like my story, and I've got an idea with the blood quill, so who knows? (Well except for me, but yeah)**

**Thanks to everyone that has given my story a chance, and your feedback will be greatly appreciated. I swear reviews have completely latched onto my life energy; they give me motivation and inspiration.**

**Until next time,**

**Doodle**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ugh…I spent like the whole of last night trying to catch the goddamn Heatran in Platinum, and I ended up using all of my 40 pokeballs. (Stupid ultra ball, I thought you were supposed to be good…) Still haven't caught it yet, and I had to start over :(**

**I had completely forgot to mention this at the first chapter (I shall add it later) but there will be language. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda, nor do I own the Harry Potter series, thank ye.**

* * *

Chapter Ten

Link bounded down the stairs towards the Great Hall, Zelda in tow a few feet behind him.

"C'mon, hurry up!" he called, slowing down his pace.

"We are in no rush," she replied calmly, walking in step with him. "I know you're happy to be out of the hospital wing, but breakfast hasn't even started yet. We have plenty of time."

Link cackled. "Yeah I know, but it feels so much better out here! And at least I got to skip detention with the pink keese."

Zelda's lip turned upwards. "I'm sure she's going to have you make it up. And you can ask Harry about what happened." Link's expression turned sour.

"Ugh. I wonder what she's going to make us do, knit her sweaters?" he griped. Zelda giggled, and they continued making their way down the ever changing flights of stairs. When they stepped into the hall, there were only a few students scattered about, and the two Hylians took their seats almost unnoticed.

_Good,_ Link mused, _I hope the news of yesterday didn't spread too much._ But knowing the general public, the chances of that happening were little to none.

They ate their food with little talk, and were joined by the Golden Trio minutes later. Seeing Link in his usual spot stuffing himself, their faces lit up and they quickly sat down in their respective seats.

Harry poured himself a goblet of pumpkin juice. "You feeling okay? Since you collapsed so suddenly yesterday."

"I'm fine," answered Link. He caught a look from Zelda, and nodded ever so slightly. "It happens a lot."

"Why? Is it some kind of illness?" Hermione asked carefully.

Zelda's sharp eyes bore into him. _They didn't see the scar_.

Link coughed awkwardly, and looked away. "Uh…"

"It's okay," Hermione said quickly. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

On the other side of the table, Harry had finished his breakfast pretty quickly, and had whipped out a journal and scribbled something inside. Link cocked his head to the side.

"What's that?" he asked him.

Harry looked up. "What? Oh, this is the dream journal that Professor Trelawney assigned us."

Realization dawned on Link. "Din-dammit!" he cursed quietly, standing up, preparing to make a mad dash back to their dorms. He felt a hand on his arm, and he looked down. There was a small smile on Zelda's face, and he sat down, remembering.

"What's wrong? Did you not do it?" Ron asked, half a scone in his mouth.

Link shook his head in relief. "I forgot it was already done."

He shot a grateful look at Zelda, who was sipping her tea calmly while her eyes glowed with mirth.

"Oh yeah, Harry," said Link, as said boy had put away his journal with a sigh of relief. "What does Umbridge make us do in detention?"

An unpleasant look crossed Harry's face, and he grimaced. "Lines."

Link frowned. "Ew."

* * *

The day passed on like any other, and only a few students had gone up to him asking of yesterday's incident, to which he responded with a vague, "medical issues."

As the last class of the day was finally over, Link glared at the list of homework that he had been assigned, and he slowly made his way to the Great Hall, dreading the detention that would take place after dinner. He fell into his usual seat next to Zelda, who greeted him with a light smile as he sat down.

"So how was your day today?" he said conversationally, reaching over to grab a plate of bread and butter.

Zelda's eyebrow twitched. "It was okay," she replied curtly, cutting into her steak rather violently. "Umbridge was hell."

Link shot her a look of sympathy, and patted her shoulder with a dramatic look. "My condolences, princess. But at least you don't have detention with her."

"And whose fault is that?" Zelda responded, lifting a fork to her mouth.

"Umbridge's," Link answered darkly, and Zelda laughed, lightly cuffing him on the head. He grinned, and dug back into his meal, his spirits lifted.

Harry and the others joined them after a while, sinking into the bench with an unhappy look on his face. He glowered at his food, and stabbed his fork and knife into his meat pie.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked.

"Angelina scolded him for not being able to attend Friday's Quidditch tryouts," Ron answered. "Said she wasn't impressed with his attitude and that he should put training before other commitments."

"I have detention!" Harry burst out angrily. "Do you think I'd rather be stuck in a room with the old toad or playing Quidditch?"

"At least it's only lines," Hermione said consolingly. "It's not like it's some kind of cruel punishment…" Harry opened his mouth, and then closed it again, nodding. The only sound following that was of the sound of forks and knives scraping against their plates. The silence was broken by Link as he spoke up.

"…What's Quidditch?" he asked guiltily. Two pairs of eyes darted to him in surprise.

Ron slammed down his goblet. "What's Quidditch?!"

"Why it's only the best sport on earth!" Harry exclaimed, almost scandalized.

Hermione sighed. "Calm down, not everyone's as excited about Quidditch as you two are."

At this Ron wagged a finger. "I beg to differ. Did you see how many people were at the cup last year? Or our Quidditch games in school?"

Hermione sighed once again, but did not respond. Turning to Link, she explained, "You know of soccer, baseball, and basketball right?" A jumbled nod. "Well it's sort of like a combination of all three, but it's played on broomsticks in the air."

"Ah," said Link, still somewhat confused. An odd image floated around in his head; what kind of sport had people hovering in the air whacking balls with broomsticks?

"Your explanation doesn't do it much justice," Ron scoffed. The bushy haired girl shot him a glare which he ignored. "You'll see later," he said, turning to Link who nodded in answer.

"But anyway, I can't believe how much homework we got," Link said miserably, changing the subject. "I'll never finish it with today's detention."

Harry nodded dejectedly. "True, guess we'll be sacrificing our sleep." Link's face transformed into a horrified expression, drawing laughter from around the group, him joining in as well.

* * *

Harry trudged into Umbridge's office with Link trailing behind him. As they entered through the door, Harry studied the other boy's expression, and was secretly amused to see that it was akin to his the first time he had stepped in.

"Ah, welcome," Professor Umbridge greeted sweetly from her desk. Seeing Link, she added, "Great to see that Mr. Ordona could make it here to."

It seemed like Link attempted to smile back at her, but only managed a half grimace. Harry moved mechanically to his desk, and Umbridge handed him the quill. Guiding Link to the desk next to Harry, Umbridge gave him a quill and pointed at the board.

"Now, I want you to write, '_I must not tell lies'_," she told him. Link's face twitched, but he accepted the pen silently.

"How many times?" he asked.

Umbridge's smile grew wider. "As many times as it takes to _sink_ in."

With an unnerved look on his face, Link sat down. "…Professor Umbridge?"

"Yes dear?" Umbridge said, now sitting at her desk.

"There's no ink," said Link.

"There's no need for it," she laughed. Link turned to Harry, who shot him an empathetic look. He made a gesture mimicking a cut into his hand, and the blond boy's expression darkened.

Harry turned back to his paper and continued scrawling down the lines. There was a sharp intake of breath, and turning his head to the left, Harry carefully gauged Link's expression.

Confusion marred the other boy's face. "Professor? Nothing's happening."

Umbridge stood up from her seat and ambled over to their desks. "What do you mean, dear?"

Link held up his left hand. "Am I supposed to be writing nothing?" Umbridge looked down, and sure enough, his paper was still completely blank.

"Try again, maybe it'll work this time honey," she said. Link pressed the quill onto the paper and scribbled out some words. Nothing.

"Let me see your hand-" Umbridge grabbed Link's hand and paused. "What, is this?" Her expression was stiff and her voice hard.

"A birthmark," Link replied tersely. Yanking on Link's arm, Umbridge brought the appendage into Harry's line of sight.

"Mr. Potter, does this look anything like a birthmark?" she said softly. On Link's hand were three triangles. They connected to form a larger triangle, and if Harry had squinted, he might have thought that it was glowing gently.

"Of course, it looks just like a birthmark, Professor Umbridge," Harry answered automatically, mentally smirking.

Letting out a disgusted sigh, Umbridge turned back to Link. "Tattoos are not allowed in school."

"But it's not a tattoo!" Link protested. Umbridge stared at him with a venomous look and pulled out her wand.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, for having an exposed tattoo, and for talking back to a teacher," declared Umbridge. She then pointed her wand at Link's hand, and muttered a quiet incantation.

She pulled on Link's arm, and studied the mark expectantly. Seeing that nothing had changed, she let go of the other boy's arm with an irritated expression. "Use your other hand."

"But Professor, I can't write with my other hand," said Link, feigning innocence. Harry hid a grin under his hand, and he tried to focus on his own work.

Umbridge's beady eyes flashed. "Well try to get used to it, _dear_." The last word was coated in sickly sweetness, and Harry almost cringed at the sound of it.

A small smile grew on Link's face, which went unnoticed by the toad. "Yes professor."

Unlike Harry's first encounter with the pen, there was no gasp or sign of surprise as the quill cut into flesh, and for an hour, the two sat quietly, scratching out words in their own blood.

Umbridge stood up and the two ceased their writing. She marched over to Harry's desk. "Hand."

He held out the limb, and Umbridge inspected it with a critical eye. She seemed satisfied with the red and inflamed skin and dismissed him. Harry did not bolt out of the classroom as he had done last time however, instead choosing to stay and wait for Link.

Umbridge was now in front of the blond boy's desk, and she peered down at Link's hand, hissing. "_What_, is this, Mr. Ordona?" To which the boy shrugged in reply.

Harry craned his neck to get a glimpse of what Link had managed in the hour and a half inside their detention, and after seeing Link's handiwork, he suppressed the loud snicker that was bubbling in his mouth.

"Tell me, Mr. Ordona," Umbridge said, her voice dangerously low. "What is it that you have written in the past hour?"

Link's face remained impassive. "I must not tell lies."

Umbridge's sickly sweet smile faltered. "That's not what the vulgar phrase you've written is telling me though."

"Ah, trick of the light maybe?" Link suggested innocently. "All this pink in the room can really mess with one's vision you know." Harry accidentally let out a snigger at the boy's disguised insult, and he was rewarded with a glower from the toad.

"Mr. Potter, your presence here is not required. I have dismissed you, so please leave," Professor Umbridge snapped. In response, Harry sidled his way out the door, but he remained within hearing range of the conversation between the two.

"Now," Umbridge continued. "That will be another week of detention; I will see you in class tomorrow." The door slammed shut, and Link hopped out, looking pretty relieved.

"Phew, I thought she was going to skin me," said Link, tugging on the collar of his button up shirt.

"Me too," Harry agreed. Then he cracked a grin. "That was fantastic, by the way."

A similar smile grew on Link's lips, and he smirked. "I try my best."

The two boys walked as fast as they could towards the Gryffindor tower, and once they had stepped in through the painting, both students pulled out their pile of homework, identical looks of dread on their faces as they continued to scribble out lines.

"From Umbridge to this," Link whined. "Don't we ever get a break?"

Harry shrugged. "I'd fancy one right now, but I'd end up in detention with Snape if I don't finish his moonstone essay."

Link cursed, and dug around in his bag, yanking out another piece of parchment. "Forgot about it."

It was half past two when Harry finished the last sentence of his essay, and he breathed a sigh of relief, tucking away the piece of parchment into his bag. Link had still a bit left to go, and the blond boy looked up.

"Go on without me," said Link. "I'll be finished in a few minutes."

Harry nodded, and he staggered to his bed, not even bothering to change into his night clothes. He fell asleep immediately, still on top of the covers and fully clothed.

* * *

Link fell out of the bed, releasing a surprised yelp when he made contact with the hard floor. The cold stone slapped his face, and he jumped up, only to trip with his legs tangled into the covers. There were snickers around the room and he groaned.

"Very smooth," laughed Harry. Link groggily looked up, and for once all the tenants in the dorm were present.

"G'morning," said Link, preparing to dive back to bed. "If you're all still here then that means I can sleep more."

"No way," grinned Ron, though he seemed just as sleepy as Link. "You'd probably sleep through the whole day if we let you now."

"I'm glad you guys have so much faith in me," mumbled Link into his pillow. He knew they were right, so he pushed himself back up, and kneeled down to dig for his clothes.

"Well, we'll be going first," said Seamus, turning towards the door. Link gave a small wave in acknowledgement. Seamus, Dean, and Neville stepped out, leaving just Link, Harry, and Ron in the dorm.

"You can go too, if you want," said Link, not looking up from his trunk.

"Nah, we'll wait," said Ron. Link gave a particularly harsh yank on one shirt, knocking out his adventure pouch in the process. One of his clawshots fell out, and his eyes widened.

_Farore fuck's sake, _he cursed, quickly snatching the clawshot and trying but failing to stuff it back inside. The other two boys in the room had seen it, and Harry spoke up.

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

Link held up the item cautiously. "This?"

_Stall stall stall gotta think of something quick!_ He chanted in his head.

"Yeah," said Ron. "Looks pretty cool, what it is?"

"Uh…" Link paused, "it's a Muggle device. My friend's an inventor, so he tinkers around with scraps he finds."

"But I've never heard of it before," Harry said skeptically.

"My pair is the only ones that exist right now," said Link, sweating slightly. "It's pretty unheard of it, so…yeah."

"Pair?" noticed Ron.

Link reached down and pulled out his other clawshot. "It works better as a pair."

"So what's it do?" asked Harry.

"Well," began Link. "You point it at something," he aimed one clawshot at the ceiling. "And you shoot it-" There was a loud _clunk_, and the other two boys jumped. Link was now hanging from the ceiling, and Harry and Ron grinned in amazement.

"Wow!" cried Ron.

Link quickly shoved the clawshots away. "Now, don't tell anyone you saw it, Hermione's okay, but that's it."

Harry and Ron nodded vehemently.

"You…You reckon I could try it?" asked Ron, wonder shining in his eyes.

Link grinned widely. "Maybe later, but Hermione and Zelda are probably waiting for us."

* * *

**Harry and Ron sees Link's clawshots…dun dun dun. Okay so it's not that important, but it was fun to write. Now, many people have asked me this, and yes, Link is able to turn into a wolf. He just needs to touch and draw on the power of the shadow crystal thing.**

**A big thank you to Guest, Isli, Dragonspirit996, XHikariSoraX, MissMoe, Anonymous yeah, and jacobo136 for reviewing! **

**Guest: I agree wholeheartedly! And thank you for the review!**

**Isli: Thank you very much! Your review had me squealing like a little school girl, lol. I'm delighted that you like my story so much, and have a great day as well!**

**MissMoe: Very observant, but I shall not spoil too much. I'm glad that you're so interested and I hope you'll continue to support this story! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Dragonspirit996: I do believe I was a bit harsh on her, but Umbridge… is not a very pitiable character, heh. **

**XHikariSoraX: This chapter didn't really do much for the Zelda part of the plot, did it? Tatl and Tael's involvement shall be explained later, and thanks for the review too!**

**Jacobo136: Haha, too bad it doesn't…otherwise I'd be spamming my favorite stories with it, lol. Anyway, I'm happy that you reviewed, and thanks!**

**Anonymous yeah: I would never dream of rushing my chapters, but I'd hate for you guys to wait too long. I believe your question was answered, and I'm elated that you like my story, thanks for the review too! (tp was the first Zelda game I had ever played, and I love it!)**

**Feedback and whatever it is you wish to say will be welcomed! **

**Thanks, **

**Doodle **


	11. Chapter 11

**Whoo! We've reached fifty reviews! Thank you guys so much, you rock!**

**To all you people who were wondering what Link wrote, I purposely left it blank so you guys can come up with something on your own. (Call me uncreative, but you guys could probably come up with some nasty insults; unleash your worst, lol) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda nor do I own the Harry Potter series. Thank you very much.**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

"So how was detention last night?" Zelda asked humorously, her posture more relaxed than before as she bit into her bread.

Link suppressed the small shiver dancing on his shoulders, and he pasted a flashy smile onto his face. "Absolutely horrible."

Zelda cocked her head to the side. "How so?"

Link took a sip from his coffee, and he grimaced. "She made us write lines with-" He paused, remembering that Hermione and Ron were also present, and he coughed. "She made us write lines."

"That's not so bad, is it?" said Zelda, noticing the break in his sentence. Link shrugged, averting his eyes to the left.

On the other side of the table, Harry broke out in a huge grin. "You should have seen what Link wrote! It was genius!"

Zelda turned her head to him, one side of her mouth tugging upwards. "What did he write?" Next to Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded quickly, also wanting to know.

Lowering his voice, as to not catch the attention of the other students, Harry relayed last night's events in an excited tone. Link sat to the side with a smug expression, and he crossed his arms, a small smirk forming.

"And you're still alive?!" said Ron incredulously.

Ignoring the little snide voice in his head commenting about how he was technically already dead, Link snickered in return. "Last time I checked, yeah."

"What asinine gall you have," Zelda commented, shaking her head. Hermione laughed in agreement as she nodded.

"Heh," Link chuckled. "Go big or go home…" He trailed off, his smile being replaced by a look of dread, and he pursed his lips. "…We have Umbridge again today…she's going to give me hell."

"Look forward to it," Zelda said flatly. "At least it's only one class period."

Link shrugged. "None would've been better."

The rest of breakfast was uneventful, and soon Link was walking to his first class, a scowl across his face.

_Great way to start out the day…get to see Umbridge's ugly mug bright and early. _The day, as well as the rest of the week passed on rather quickly, and a couple days later, Link and Zelda were sat in the library with heavy tomes laid out in front of them.

"So, what were you going to tell me?" asked Zelda abruptly. Link looked up, confused. "You know, during breakfast two days ago. You cut off your sentence."

Link blinked. "Oh, that. Umbridge's detention."

Zelda nodded. "Yeah, now get to the point."

"Hmmm…detention with Umbridge…" said Link, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "She made us write lines, but with a blood quill."

"Blood quill?" repeated Zelda.

Link gave a small nod. "Whatever you write is etched onto your hand, and it's written with the blood from that cut." He held up his right hand, bringing the slightly red skin into Zelda's line of sight.

Seeing the light flush of color on this hand, her eyes darkened, and her mouth set itself into a straight line. "That toad's going to-wait, I thought you were left-handed."

"I am," said Link. "But the Triforce interfered with the quill, and it couldn't cut through so she made me use my other hand."

"That's normal, I guess," Zelda murmured. "The Triforce will aid it's bearer upon their weakest moments, or, if there is direct contact to it."

"It's helped me more than enough times on my journey," Link recalled wistfully. "I Fell into lava once; I only made it out alive because of it, but it's not a complete shield, I still had burns to last me weeks." He gazed at his left hand, holding it up in front of him.

Their conversation dropped from there, and Link shifted his eyes back onto the book with a disinterested expression.

"…I think I have an idea," said Zelda suddenly, sitting up straighter.

"What is it?" asked Link, pushing the book away quickly.

An excited gleam flashed in her liquid silver orbs, and she stood up. "I'm going to ask Dumbledore for the blueprints of the school." She picked her way around the large pile of books, moving them one by one back to their original places.

Link quickly followed her up, and carrying a large stack of books, rushed up to her. "Why?"

Zelda grunted as she lifted a particularly heavy book, which was immediately snatched by Link, and brushed her hair out of her face. "Thanks."

Link nodded, but gestured for her to continue with his free arm.

"You know, since Hogwarts is so similar to Hyrule Castle, I was curious if it would lead to more information," said Zelda, her eyes cast onto the floor in thought. "Maybe shed some more light on our current predicament.

"Makes sense," Link agreed, a pleasant smile on his face. "Can I come with you?"

"Of course!" Zelda said immediately, her cheeks a light pink. "You needn't ask."

Link chuckled, and the two exited the library into the direction of the Headmaster's office. The halls were devoid of sound, and the two Hylians were content with keeping it that way.

Their footsteps echoed through the narrow hallway, and as they were nearing Dumbledore's room, Link shifted his hands into his pockets, a contemplative look on his face.

"…You know," Link began, a pensive smile ghosting over his lips. His voice bounced around the hall, and he lowered it. "Sometimes I forget that I'm technically dead."

Zelda gazed at him with her intense silver eyes, and she sighed, shutting her eyelids. "Me too."

"Days like these, they remind me of those back in Ordon. Where I spent the days without worry, playing with the village kids; life was so carefree."

Zelda looked warily up at him. "What's with you, talking like you're going to die again?"

Link laughed. "If I had died back in Hyrule, then that means I didn't get to make that dying speech Midna and I had prepared. Guess I can use it now."

"Geez," said Zelda, her tone lighthearted as she scolded him. Link laughed once more, but there were identical flashes of sorrow beneath the bright cheery light in their eyes. They were now in front of the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office, and the statue eyed the two cautiously.

"Password?" it growled.

"Acid pops," Zelda replied firmly. It jumped aside, and the two headed in and up the stairs. Stepping gingerly into the Headmaster's loft of an office, Zelda cleared her throat awkwardly, and Dumbledore looked up from his work.

A small smile spread to his wrinkly cheeks. "To what do I owe you the pleasure of, my dears?"

Zelda made her way closer to his desk, her arms lowered in front of her, fingers twitching nervously. Dumbledore made no move to speak, and she took that as a sign to begin.

"May I get a copy of the blueprints of Hogwarts castle please, professor?" asked Zelda, staring at the headmaster with uncertainty. Dumbledore looked at her curiously, his blue eyes twinkling with a calculating air.

Zelda held her breath, knowing that she shouldn't be feeling as nervous as she was. A moment of silence, and Dumbledore chuckled.

"No problem," he answered heartily, standing up and gliding over to a large bookshelf. He fingered through the spines of a couple books before resting on a rather thick tome set on the top shelf. "My only concern is that you try not to share it with anybody else," he said as he pulled the book out gingerly, wiping the dust off with his sleeve. "There are quite a bit of secrets to this castle that I want to remain hidden; they _are_ secrets for a reason."

Dumbledore set the book onto his desk and flipped it open to a bookmark. There was a short wheeze the old man let out as a small cloud of dust blew around, and the headmaster pulled out a folded piece of aged parchment. Handing it to Zelda, he shut the book with a loud _snap_, and said, "I hope it will help. Alas, there are not many things I myself can do to aid you, but whatever it is you need, I shall try my best." A warm smile flushed his cheeks, and Zelda felt a small flame of warmth and happiness flicker inside her.

"Thank you so much!" Zelda said sincerely, her eyes sparkling brightly as she clutched the parchment paper to her chest.

"No need, no need," Dumbledore replied, waving his hand. "I'm glad that I could be of help."

"Thanks," Link repeated from where he stood near the entrance, leaning on the doorway with a casual air. Dumbledore shook his head with a smile, still waving his hand slightly.

Zelda flashed one last appreciative glance at the kind headmaster before exiting the office and down to the stairs. She turned to Link as they walked past the gargoyle. "You didn't say anything at all in there."

Link shrugged his shoulders, his eyebrows raised. "There was no need to. You had everything under control."

Zelda hummed in answer, still happily holding onto the blueprints. They walked down the empty hallway, and peeking downstairs, they saw the Great Hall begin to empty. Lunch break was over.

"Dang, that was quick," Link remarked, leaning precariously over the rails.

"We should get to class. I'll keep the blueprints for now, and we can look over it after dinner or something," said Zelda, tucking the papers away. Reaching out a hand, she gently tugged on the collar of his shirt. "Don't fall off and crack your head open, Hero, that would be a pathetic way to die."

Link shot her a goofy grin, and leaned even closer over the edge. "The great princess of Hyrule is worrying over a simple peasant like me? My, what would the nobles say?"

"They'd be ecstatic actually," Zelda said simply, keeping a tight grip on his shirt. "The council's been trying to marry me off since years ago-" Clamping her mouth shut as she realized what she had just said, a light pink flushed her cheeks and she swallowed nervously.

"What was that?" Link said distractedly. "Sorry, I didn't hear you. That painting over there's showing this farmer guy ramming that pitchfork of his in-"

Zelda let out a breath of relief, and Link looked at her oddly. "What?"

"N-nothing!" she replied instantly, shaking her head furiously.

Another odd look. "You're so weird."

"Shut up."

* * *

**So far it's been a bit boring, hasn't it? Don't fret, my lovelies, I have got a great number of things planned that shall take place in the next couple of chapters (not sure of the next one though). I also plan to do a lot of editing and revising to my earlier chapters. As I read through them, I usually end up wincing at the horribleness, and I plan to fix it soon. **

**Anyway, thanks to Changeling, joshhlover, SpriteBlazer, Shadows from Twilight, XHikariSoraX, and dissonantToxophilite for reviewing!**

**Changeling: Legendary battles are like a love/hate kind of thing for me; it's nerve-wracking but also exciting at the same time, especially if I forget to save. I think I've already answered your question, and thanks for reviewing!**

**joshhlover: It's hard not to love Link, but I've never really pictured him as Josh Hutcherson. I think Link's a bit less square-jawed, but that's my opinion. Thanks for the review as well!**

**SpriteBlazer: I have an idea of when wolf Link's gonna appear, and it's not too far from now, so look forward to it! I'm not sure if Midna herself will appear in person, but she's definitely going to be mentioned. She's a cool character, but I wouldn't know how she would fit in here. I like the idea, and thanks for reviewing!**

**Shadows from Twilight: School work is the worst. I usually find myself putting it off until the last minute, and then I end up berating myself for procrastinating. It is an endless cycle of doom. But thanks for taking the time for reading and reviewing though, it's appreciated!**

**XHikariSoraX: I'm sticking to canon so Link's gonna be left-handed here, but he's not completely useless with his right hand either; he can write some pretty mean words with it, so yeah. Until next time then, I look forward to seeing you, thanks!**

**dissonantToxophilite: Cool name change, I'm sort of paranoid about spelling your name right, so sorry if there's a mistake. But I can't wait for Link to change into a wolf, it gon' be awesome! Until next chapter then, hope to see you soon, thank you very much!**

**Thank you very much for reading, and your feedback would be super great! Also, thanks to everyone that liked or followed this story, I appreciate it man. **

**Doodle**


	12. Chapter 12

**I've gotten some pretty good feedback regarding the Zelink I snuck in last chapter, and to Isli, yes, there will be Zelink in this story. My inner fangirl cannot do without it. Sorry to those that were looking for a story without pairings, but here's a note: I've never really done romance before (besides that oneshot I wrote), and I'll keep it a bit slow-paced, but that's not set in place.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda nor do I own the Harry Potter series. Thank ye**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Link and Harry sullenly made their way out of Umbridge's office, each sporting a new patch of red, scarred skin on their hands.

"At least we've finished one week," mumbled Link sourly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Still got quite a lot left though," Harry replied despondently, padding up the stairs with his eyes downcast. "_Mimbulus mimbletonia!" _He recited to the Fat Lady. She swung open, and the two students stepped into the Gryffindor common room where they were met with a wave of loud cheers and noise. Link looked at Harry with confusion, and the other boy shrugged in response.

"You're back!" Ron cried happily, rushing up to them with a swishing goblet of butterbeer. "I did it! I became Keeper!"

Harry smiled widely, but his hand still throbbed and bled and he tried to keep his grin natural. "That's wonderful! Brilliant job, Ron!"

"Here, have a butterbeer." Ron pressed a bottle into his hands. "I'll get you one too, Link."

Link shook his head and declined. "Nah, that's alright. And congratulations on making the team." Ron nodded cheerfully in reply, flushing red as his beaming face stretched his cheeks and creased his eyes.

"Thanks," Ron said bashfully.

Harry looked around. "Oh yeah, where's Hermione?"

"Over there near the fireplace," Fred said, poking his head into the conversation, gulping down a bottle of the revered beverage. Harry turned his head towards the crackling fire and saw the familiar bushy haired girl curled up asleep on an armchair, her butterbeer tipped precariously in her loose grip.

"She said she was pleased when I told her," Ron stated proudly. "Should I go wake her up?"

"No!" George said hastily. "Uh, no, I mean. Let her sleep, I think she needs it." A couple of first-years strolled past them, and Harry noticed that they each had faint traces of recent bloody noses, and he grinned.

* * *

Harry was the first to awake inside their dorms, and judging by the dust swirling in the peaks of light shining through the curtains, as well as the twittering of birds outside, it was still just after daybreak. He savored the thought of today being a Saturday, and he slid out of his covers, padding over to where his trunk sat.

Harry pulled on a fresh set of clothes, taking his time as each article of clothing was fit onto his body. He grabbed a piece of parchment, and with the other hand, held onto a small bottle of ink and a quill. He silently made his away across the dorm over to the door, and took a moment to assess the other occupants.

Ron was snoring as usual, his leg hanging over the mattress and his blankets strewn all over the place. His fiery red hair now resembled that of a rat's nest, and Harry smiled at the image. Link, on the bed next to him, was a complete mess. He lay with his body stick straight; his blankets enveloping him like a cocoon, and his head nodding dangerously over the edge. With each little dip as his head neared the floor, Link's blue earring dangled along with the slight movement.

The other three boys were the picture of peace, each lay still under their covers, tucked neatly inside their blankets, seemingly hours before they would wake.

As his eyes finished their scan of the dorm, he traipsed down the stairs and headed straight to his favorite plushy armchair near the fireplace. Settling himself in, Harry dipped his quill with ink and began writing. His letter to Sirius was short, and Harry could appreciate how hard it had been for Ron and Hermione to write to him over the summer; to be able to fit everything that had happened of importance without giving letter eavesdroppers information they shouldn't have was rather difficult.

Sunlight filed in through the high windows, and Harry stood up, leaving through the painting and heading towards the Owlery.

He met with Nearly Headless Nick on his way through a hallway, and was warned of Peeves, so he ended up taking a different route. Standing on the dropping covered floor, Harry tied the letter carefully around Hedwig's feet, whispering of whom the letter was really for. Harry sent her off with a light jerk of his arm, and prepared to leave.

The door opened, and Cho's face peeked inside. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Oh! I didn't know you were here," she said brightly.

* * *

Harry sat down for breakfast, feeling much better than he had all week. Having met Cho, his spirits were lifted and being able to contact Sirius had added to his good mood.

"You look pleased, what happened?" said Link, in the middle of a big slice of cake.

"There's Quidditch later," Harry replied happily, pulling a large plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. "And why are you eating cake for breakfast?"

Link shrugged, putting another forkful of cake into his mouth. "I felt like it, and it tastes good." As Link finished the last bite, he disappeared behind some old piece of parchment, making sure to keep it hidden from the others. He occasionally pointed something out to Zelda, who only nodded faintly in response, looking at the parchment with undisguised interest. The other three exchanged curious looks but said nothing.

"Oh…yeah…Quidditch," said Ron, putting down the piece of toast he had been working on, and took a large swig from his goblet. "Listen...you don't fancy going out a bit earlier with me, do you? Just to-er, get a bit of practice before training?"

"Yeah, okay," said Harry.

"Look, I don't think you should," said Hermione seriously. "You're both really behind of homework as it-"

She broke off as the morning post was arriving, and the _Daily Prophet_ soared over to her in the mouth of a barn owl. Hermione took the paper and dropped a few Knuts into the pouch tied to its leg. She inspected the front page carefully, scanning the large letters with keen eyes.

"Anything of interest?" asked Harry, jamming his last bite of eggs through his lips.

Hermione shook her head, proceeding to open up the paper and stick her face into it. "Nothing. Nothing important at least; though the bass player in the Weird Sisters is getting married or something."

Harry nodded, and helped himself to another plate of food. It was after a while that Hermione broke the short silence that had befallen their group at the table.

"Wait!" Hermione said despairingly. "Oh no…Sirius!"

"What happened?!" Harry said urgently, snatching the paper so quickly and roughly that it had split into the middle, and now both were holding onto a half of the paper.

Harry quickly devoured the words on the paper, his eyes widening and his eyebrows furrowing with each word.

"_'The Ministry of Magic has received a tip-off from a reliable source that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer…blah blah blah…is currently hiding in London'"_ Hermione read from her half in an anguished whisper.

"It was Lucius Malfoy, I bet," said Harry in a furious whisper. "So he _did_ recognize Sirius at the train station…"

"What?" said Ron in an alarmed voice. "You didn't-"

He was hushed by the other two.

"Sirius shouldn't leave the house anymore," Hermione said in a low tone. "There's no telling who could recognize him. I bet Dumbledore would say the same."

Harry looked down glumly at the rest of the page; there was nothing else that caught their attention-

"Look!" Harry pointed at a passage near the bottom, and the group squinted to catch a glimpse of the tiny print.

"Isn't that the bloke from the Order-?" Link stopped himself from uttering anything else regarding the secret organization, and scratched his cheek awkwardly. "What did he do to get arrested?"

"Just read," hissed Zelda, peering over his shoulder to get a glimpse of the words.

"Trespass at the Ministry," breathed Harry. "What was Podmore trying to accomplish?"

"Six months in Azkaban!" whispered Ron, shocked. "For trying to get through some locked doors!"

"Don't be silly," Hermione berated. "It wasn't just trying to get through the doors-what could he have been doing at one o' clock in the morning?"

"Wait a moment," Zelda said slowly, her brow furrowed. "Didn't you say that Sturgis was supposed to see you guys off? He didn't show up, right?"

The pieces clicked together. "That makes sense-!"

"It could be a frame-up!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. "No-listen! The Ministry suspects he's one of Dumbledore's lot so-I dunno- they _lured_ him to the Ministry, and he wasn't trying to get through the door at all! Maybe they've just made something up to get him!"

The others stared at him. None were unconvinced though, and they all seemed to be pondering the idea.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was true though," Hermione said after a while, looking rather impressed. She folded up the newspaper, looking thoughtful. "Well, I think it's time to tackle on that for Sprout on Self-Fertilizing Shrubs first, and if we're lucky we'll be able to start McGonagall's Inanimagus Conjurus before lunch…"

* * *

Harry took a quick second to catch his breath, relaxing the arm that clutched tightly at his Firebolt. Ron crouched next to him, picking up the scattered Quaffle balls, his broomstick lying haphazardly a few feet away.

"I think that was pretty good," said Harry breathlessly, leaning on his broomstick.

Ron's face lit up. "You think so?"

"Yeah," Harry smiled. "I'd reckon you'd do great at practice today."

Ron beamed, but he didn't answer.

They joined up with Hermione and the others at lunch, and had received quite an earful from the girl as she had made it pretty clear that what they were doing was irresponsible.

"How was your extra practice?" asked Link. "Was it any good?"

Ron looked to Harry for an answer, an eager expression on his face.

Harry laughed. "Ron's pretty good; saved almost three-fourths of all the shots I made."

"Nice." Link gave him a thumbs up, grinning at him. His expression suddenly became more hesitant, and looked at the two boys. "By the way, you two."

"Yeah?" said Harry.

"D-d'you mind if I watch you guys during practice?" said Link diffidently as he twiddled his thumbs, before quickly adding, "It's okay if the team says I can't, I'm curious on how you play the game."

"Sure!" Harry replied instantly, glad that the blond boy had showed some sort of interest in the sport. "It's no problem!"

"Yeah!" Ron nodded his head furiously.

"Then is it okay if I tag along?" Zelda said slyly. "I can't say I'm not curious either."

"The more the merrier," laughed Harry.

* * *

Harry strolled into the changing rooms, Ron a few steps behind him, a timid air surrounding the red head. It seemed like everyone but Angelina was present.

"You alright, Ron?" said George, winking at him.

"Yeah," Ron answered, who had become quieter and quieter all the way down to the pitch.

"Ready to show us all up, Ickle Prefect?" Fred teased, his tousled hair emerging from the neck of his Quidditch robes, a slightly malicious grin adorning his face.

"Shut up," Ron bit back, stony-faced.

Angelina cleared her throat, interrupting the Weasley's teasing banter, her face stern. "Okay everyone, let's get to it; Alicia and Fred, if you can just bring the ball crate out for us. Oh, there are a couple of people out there watching but I want you to just ignore them, all right?"

They murmured back answers in unison, and immediately began the tasks Angelina had assigned them. Without being told, Harry had a sinking feeling that besides Link and Zelda, there would be other onlookers, ones that would not be so welcomed.

The team patrolled onto the Quidditch field, each gripping their respective broomsticks, identical looks of anticipation coursing through the group's expressions. A good feeling simmered in the Gryffindor's Seeker's stomach, and Harry smothered a grin, a usual effect from just standing on the field.

The bright sunlight of the pitch was instantly wrecked by a storm of jeers and taunts, and Harry felt his heart sink with irritation as he saw a mass of Slytherins calling from the stands, radiating contempt towards the Gryffindors. Near the side, he caught Link and Zelda sitting calmly, but both looked rather annoyed at the loud noise amassing from the Serpents.

"What's that Weasley's riding?" Malfoy called out in a sneering drawl. "Why would anyone put a Flying Charm on a moldy old log like that?"

On both sides of the platinum blond, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson burst into shrieks of laughter, their voices ringing around the stadium. Ron mounted his broom and kicked off with Harry soon following him from behind, getting a good view of the other boy's ears turning red.

"Ignore them," Harry said, accelerating to meet up with him. "We'll see whose laughing next after we play them…"

* * *

Their practice could have gone better, Harry decided. The Slytherins followed their every move with taunts and insults, and it was difficult to concentrate, resulting in quite a few mistakes and misses. Harry felt pity for Ron, who, under pressure, had messed up a lot, drawing even more jeers to be directed at him. His friend's ears were now bright red, and the ginger tried to cover them, ruffling up his hair in an attempt to do so.

Harry drifted in the air as Angelina issued commands to the team, her black braids whipping out along with each particular passionate order. Harry sighed, and slowly descended along with his teammates, the Serpent's loud singing growing in volume as he neared the ground.

A sudden movement caught his eyes. In the stands, Harry watched as Link quickly got to his feet, an almost wild look in his already feral blue eyes. Zelda stood hesitantly behind him, gently resting a hand on the boy's arm, shooting him a warning look.

At the distance he was at now, Harry could not hear anything, the wind picking up their voices and throwing them in the other direction. He scooted closer with his broom, carefully as to not draw their attention, and slowly inched his way forward, dropping near under the front of the stands; he could now see and hear what was going on.

Malfoy had a particularly nasty look on his face, almost as if he had been verbally whipped. Whether it had been Link or Zelda, Harry did not care; it was wonderful seeing his enemy and rival all riled up.

"You-" Malfoy started viciously, jabbing an accusing finger at the two.

"Ahhh, I was looking for a battle of wits," Link sighed dramatically, resting a hand on the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut. "But it looks like you came unarmed."

Malfoy's face reddened, but the Slytherin quickly regained control of himself, his glare silencing some stray snickers from behind him. He sneered. "It seems like you are mistaken, trash. You might need to get your eyes checked, but I'll bet you're too poor to afford it. Might as well rely on your rich friend-"

Link scoffed, a sound filled with contempt. "That's all you've got to say? C'mon, my friend's newborn could have had a better comeback."

"Shut up, filthy inbred." Malfoy grit his teeth, and his hand tightened around his wand. "It seems like you two treasure those dainty little blue stones hanging off your ear and around your neck. What, trying to go for a couple look with the matching jewelry? I'd say you're failing terribly."

The two transfers froze for a minute, and Malfoy smiled, his lips stretching with loathsome glee. "Did I hit a nerve? Oh, my bad…"

"Be quiet, you ignorant swine," Zelda hissed, her fist clutching the material of Link's shirt tightly. "You do not know anything."

It seemed like Zelda had yet to speak up before Harry had arrived, and Malfoy paused for a second before regaining his stance.

"And here I thought you would be different…" Malfoy said with false melancholy, holding out both hands to the side. "You had the steps right in front of you, leading to a grand marble villa, yet you backtracked join with the filth in the garbage can…we could have gotten along splendidly."

_I bloody doubt it_. Zelda's face twitched, and it seemed like she shared Harry's thoughts.

"Heh, but looks like those little stones are quite important, eh?" said Malfoy scornfully, ever so slightly raising his wand. Link's eyes widened, and his arm jerked to the left, acting almost like a guard in front of Zelda.

"_Accio necklace,_" Malfoy whispered gleefully, pointing his wand at Zelda. A heartbeat of silence. Then chaos erupted in its quietest form.

Zelda's hands flew to her necklace, clutching it as though her life depended on it. It was no use. The stone flew into Malfoy's waiting hands.

At the same time as the stone hit Malfoy's palm, Link's mouth flew open in shock, and a soundless cry came from his lips.

"No!" yelled Link, after regaining his voice. He stretched his arms to Zelda, and a small electronic buzz could be heard. Harry made to move, but he was engrossed with their exchange, his body not listening to what his brain ordered.

There was clatter of something hitting the floor, and it sounded like multiple things to Harry. He gently ascended, and as his brain finally caught up with his eyes, a chill ran up his spine, and he almost screamed.

"W-what-?" Malfoy stuttered fearfully, his shoulders trembling, his wand lying forgotten on the wooden boards. In front of them, Link was crouched on his knees, his back hunched and he was gently quivering; in anger or in fear, Harry could not tell.

Link's head snapped towards the other blond, his eyes flashing terrifyingly. "_Where is the stone?_" he said in a dangerously low voice.

Malfoy flinched, and looked at his hand before turning his gaze over the edge of the stands. "I-I don't have it anymore. I-I d-dropped it down there."

Link was seething, looking angrier than ever. He stood up, and Harry finally got a full view of where Zelda was once standing.

Lying there, was a fully intact, skeleton.

* * *

**Muahahahahah I am a terrible person. And in the next chapter, you'll see why they started arguing, though it isn't really important for the plot, but just for your information. **

**Thanks to XHikariSoraX, Changeling, dissonantToxophilite, yourworldismine, SpriteBlazer, and Isli for reviewing! **

**Also, thank you to everybody that has left a follow or favorite for this story! You guys are awesome! **

**XHikariSoraX: 'Tis an unspeakable matter, that of where the pitchfork was rammed. It really depends on how dirty your mind is lol. The zelink shall continue, worry not, my friend. **

**Changeling: As of now, I am unsure if Ganondorf will appear. I have the ending planned out, but Ganondorf's appearance shouldn't change too much. Question: do you want him here?**

**dissonantToxophilite: Ha! That was good~ And I'm glad that the zelink was well received, though I'm a complete noob at writing romance. **

**yourworldismine: Thank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoy this story, and I hope you will continue to read it, thanks again~**

**SpriteBlazer: That's a pretty good idea, though I never really saw Link as a prankster, it sounds like something he'd dabble in once or twice. And yeah, he's got everything from the game, including all of the collectables and stuff (bottles, hawkeye, etc.)**

**Isli: I assure you, the day Link will kick ass is near, but he won't be hitting any posteriors as of now. I look forward to writing it though, it's going to be fun. And I agree, Link and Zelda are perfect for each other; *fangirls***

**Thanks to all you readers for uh, reading! (duh) The next chapter shall be out in about a week, I think, but yeah, please feel free to leave a review or like this story! That would be great, thanks!**

**Doodle**


	13. Chapter 13

**HOLY FLAPJACKS ON STEROIDS! Sixteen reviews for the last chapter I am ecstatic! Thanks so much! Maybe I should leave even more cliffhangers like that…jk I'm not that cruel. Anyway, on to the story! **

**Okay I lied about telling you guys the reason for their fight, cuz, well you'll see here.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda nor do I own the Harry Potter series, thank ye.**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Link felt the rage burning inside of him hit its peak, and he stopped himself from lunging at the blond haired snot-head. What little self-control he had immediately vanished as his eyes strayed to Zelda's corpse, and he shut his eyes tightly at the image, forcing his head away from the body.

Suddenly, realization dawned on him. The enchantments had disappeared. Zelda looked like _Princess _Zelda again. Cursing viciously, he ignored the shivering mess that was Malfoy, and fumbled with his earring before realizing that it would not do to have both of them incapacitated, and put it back.

Link turned his frigid stare at Malfoy; hands idle at his side as the boy recoiled. "You _dropped_ _it_?" he snarled.

Malfoy nodded feverishly, pointing a shaking finger over the edge of the stands. "Y-yeah. Down there."

Link was about to let out a nasty reply, but a familiar voice interrupted him, and he turned towards the sound. "_What._" Irritated, frustrated and scared, Link had not meant for it to sound so rude, and he winced after his lips closed.

Harry cringed at the animosity of the other boy's tone, and he indicated to his broom. "I can go look for it, if you want."

Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. "Please do, thanks." Harry whipped towards the other direction, and quickly started his descent, ignoring Link's hurriedly added comment. "Wait you were listening-?"

Relieved with the hope of getting the stone back to Zelda, Link returned his gaze to Malfoy, who swallowed nervously.

"_What,_" Link ground out, taking a measured step towards the other boy. "Made-" Another step. "You." Another step. "Think." Another step. "That." Another step. "That was a good idea?"

Link was now in front of Malfoy's face, towering over the other boy by a few inches. Malfoy's breath hitched, and he quickly adjusted his gaze away from Link's fierce stare.

"I-" Malfoy paused, looking behind him for support, and noticed that all of his buddies had ran the moment Zelda's body had hit the floor.

"You what?" Link growled, his eyes narrowed.

"Uh," Malfoy gulped, backing away. He nervously gripped his wand, ready to draw it at a moments notice. Link inwardly scoffed, like some stupid charm would stop him.

"I repeat: what made you think that that was a good idea?" Link's eyes glowed with tacit anger, and he could feel the back of his left hand pulse with warmth; a feeling that was not unwelcome right now.

Malfoy did not respond, and Link sighed. He could feel the other boy relax slightly, and Link smirked maliciously.

_Oh no, you're not getting off that easily._

* * *

They found him dangling under the wooden stands, at least thirty feet in the air, pinned to the boards with almost a dozen arrows shot into his scarf. The scarf itself was knotted tightly around his waist, doing a mighty fine job at handling the boy's weight. Malfoy looked absolutely terrified, and Harry could not blame him, however much he hated the other boy.

There seemed to be something hanging off of the boy's feet, and it looked to be just the size of the boy' torso. A round, steel object with menacing spikes protruding from its exterior. A metal chain connecting to the steel ball wrapped itself around Malfoy's usual spotless shoes, and it threatened to unravel itself, dropping the large metal ball onto a pile of black spheres.

_They look like those things Dudley's usually fantasizing about, those black sphere things. What were they called again? Booms?_ Harry secretly marveled at the durability of the arrows, the long thin shafts carrying the weight of a not so light boy as well as a not so light metal ball.

"Potter," Malfoy sneered. How he managed to still work up the courage to show him contempt, Harry did not know. But he was slightly more satisfied when the saw the boy's teeth chattering violently, and he grinned.

"Malfoy!" called McGonagall, brandishing her wand. "Are you okay?!"

There were a couple professors out, and Harry silently inched upwards on his broom towards the area Link and Zelda had been, a whole tower away from where Malfoy was hanging now.

"Does it look like I'm okay?!" Malfoy shrieked indignantly, thrashing around before realizing the situation he was in, and stilled himself. "When my father hears about this-!"

He was now the other professor's problem, and Harry turned to Dumbledore, a pleading look on his face after landing back onto the field.

"Please, sir, where are they?" There was no need to clarify who _they_ were.

"In my office," Dumbledore said, looking at the sky. "The other stone doesn't look like it wants to be found, I'm afraid."

Harry nodded numbly, and turned to look as Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch attempted to unbind Malfoy from his long fuzzy confines.

"Harry," said Dumbledore warningly. "This must not escape to the ears of the rest of the student body."

Harry looked blankly at him before blinking, once, twice. "What?"

"You mustn't inform anyone of what happened," Dumbledore repeated patiently. "Hermione and Ron I will make an exception for. They would've found out anyway." The old headmaster looked amused for a moment before seriousness dawned on his face once more. "Please, Harry."

Surprised, Harry nodded quickly. "Of course! You have my word."

Dumbledore breathed a sigh, directing his gaze at the blond hanging from the stands. "Then there lies the other problem."

Harry silently agreed, before another question popped onto his tongue and he parted his lips. "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"What's going on?"

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, and he eyed the younger wizard. "It's not within my place to tell. You must ask Link, and Zelda when she comes to."

_Zelda…Zelda!_

"Sir, what happened to Zelda? Why did she look like that? What happened?!"

"All in a good time, Harry," Dumbledore answered, his smile creasing his bright twinkling eyes. "You'll get your answers soon."

* * *

Link sat on a stool next to the bed Zelda was lying on, garbed in a white nightgown, courtesy of Madam Pomfrey. Her usual diadem was lying on the nightstand next to her, and the bloodied dress she typically donned was being washed and dried. She was completely still. No breathing, nothing.

Link had noticed the blood staining her silken dress, and frowned. Her wounds had been dressed by Madam Pomfrey, though there would be nothing actually healing as her cells were all dead. He had no knowledge of what kinds of wounds Zelda's dead body had sustained, and his frowned deepened.

So far, it seemed like the stone had dropped off the face of the earth, and Link had already spent hours upon hours bent over backwards scouring the field in search of it.

Link groaned, pressing his face into his hands, and sighed deeply, wanting simply just to wish his problems away. He stayed like that for a while before he heard the door open, and he perked up.

"Hey." Harry shut the door, and walked over to the other side of the cot, plopping himself down on the chair. "How is she?"

Link grunted, not bothering to respond. Not like he would know what to say anyway. His hand was clapped backwards over his mouth, and he rested his elbow on his knee, allowing his mind to wander off, and the silence of the infirmary only adding fuel to his thoughts.

It looked like Harry wasn't going to comment on Zelda's appearance, and Link inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, not feeling it in him to pull up some bull-crap answer. It didn't look like Harry had noticed Zelda's lack of breathing, as his eyes were glazed over, and looked to be deep in thought.

_Maybe he won't notice, Harry seems sort of out of it right now,_ Link thought hopefully, discretely glancing over at his black haired companion. _But that's highly unlikely. Zelda hasn't moved at all since this afternoon._

He stared down at the resting face of the princess, and was thankful to see that she was only slightly gaunt looking. Her cheeks had sunk quite deeply, and er skin had lost all of it's color, but overall Zelda still looked 'alive'. From Dumbledore's description of them, he had been picture grotesque corpses of yellow skin and bones.

_Must be the Redeads, _Link thought, annoyed. _Now I have a skewed sense of death. _

"Tomorrow," said Harry suddenly, quickly garnering the attention of Link. "Tomorrow I'll go out again and look for it."

Link said nothing, his mouth opened slightly, and a smile split his face. "Thank you."

Harry eyes widened at the amount of sincerity in Link's voice, and he smiled back. "You'd better tell me everything after this is all over. I'm about to fall out of my chair wondering what's bloody going on."

"Sure, sure," Link laughed, the small, growing despair in the back of his head disappearing as Harry continued to joke about.

The sun had set hours ago, and Harry got to his feet. "Well, I think I'll be heading back. I've got to finish Sprout's essay."

Link nodded. "Sure, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Harry waved, and he gently shut the door.

* * *

Link heard a knock on the door, and the _creak_ of its rusty hinges, and sat up quickly, snapped out his light nap. He looked up to see Malfoy step in, looking he'd rather be in any other place but here.

"What are you doing here?" said Link reproachfully.

Malfoy looked away. "…I came here to apologize."

"Then get on with it," Link replied impatiently. "I've got stuff to do."

_A lie, but he doesn't need to know that._

Malfoy's eyebrow twitched, and he had an unconvinced frown on his lips, as if saying, _you've been here all day, what 'stuff' do you need to do?_ He awkwardly cleared his throat, and directed his gaze to the floor.

He took a deep breath, and let it out. "I'm…I'm sorry for what I did this afternoon. It was inexcusable, and-"

"Yeah yeah I get it." Link casually waved his hand. "I shouldn't have shot arrows at you and stuck bombs under your feet too, my bad, you twat."

Malfoy looked irritated, but he didn't dignify that with a response.

Silence.

"I'll be leaving now," muttered Malfoy, leaving the room as quickly as he had entered it.

The door slammed shut, and Link exhaled loudly.

_Now it's just you and me, my dear friend silence._

His eyelids grew heavy, and glancing out of the windows, Link was surprised to see the moon already up in the middle of the sky, the bright stars sprinkled here and there around it.

_The moon's glow here is brighter than the one in Hyrule, _Link concluded, resting his chin on his arm. _But our stars shine more brilliantly_. His train of thoughts ended with a wry grin, and he yawned, resting his head onto his arms, which were folded near the edge of the mattress.

* * *

Harry's eyes raked through the short grass on the field, desperately searching for a flash of blue. He examined the nooks and crannies of the wooden stands, and his brow furrowed with frustration.

_Where the bloody hell is-?_ He paused, and clapped himself on the forehead. Why didn't he think of that sooner?

He drew his wand, and flying up to the stand where the necklace had fallen from, pointed it at the expansive pitch.

"_Accio necklace,_" he chanted. A heartbeat passed, and nothing flew back. He tried the charm once more, but with the same results. Frustrated, Harry pushed up his glasses, and repeated the charm again with more force.

Again, nothing.

Harry wiped the back of his hand to his forehead, and sighed. Thank god today's a Sunday…

Plopping down onto the grass, Harry rested his head on his arm, and thought long and hard about where the necklace could have landed. There was a lot of wind that day, but it should not have affected the stone's course with its weight and all. Harry glanced lazily at his wand, racking his brain for any useful spells, and drew a blank. Not wanting to watch the disappointment on Link's face, he stood up again, and jogged over to another wooden tower.

It couldn't have just dropped off the face of the earth, Harry mused as he checked a particularly earthy section behind a wooden beam. He ghosted from tower to tower, but the stone was not present near any of them.

Harry ended up staying on the Quidditch pitch for three hours, and he trudged back empty-handed towards the infirmary with a dismal cloud of thoughts swirling in his head. Opening the door, he saw that the invalid and visitor were both missing, and he blinked.

Harry looked around the room once more, before shutting the door and heading in the direction of the Gryffindor House. Not seeing Link or Zelda anywhere, he decided to rejoin his best friend and catch up on the homework that had piled up during his escapades.

Surrounded by books in the common room, Harry and Ron shared light conversation, but the boy who lived refrained from bringing up yesterday's events. It would be best to gain a bit more insight on the matter before blabbering about it to everyone, Harry decided. Also he would feel better if both of his friends were present if he were to relay the incident to them.

Scribbling down the final sentence on McGonagall's essay, he turned to Ron. "Hey, you see Link today?"

The red head looked thoughtful, and nodded. "Sure, I saw him charging towards Dumbledore's office. Wonder what he'd need there?"

Snapping his textbook shut, Harry shrugged. "I dunno, but I've got some question's to ask him." He then flicked open another textbook for Astronomy.

* * *

Harry felt mixed feelings towards Percy's letter. It would make sense; after all, he would only bring trouble upon Ron and his family. Looking around, there was him, Ron and Hermione sat alone in the deserted common room, quickly scratching down word after word for their work.

Dinner had gone by quickly, and with no word from Link or Zelda, it was just the three again. Now-it was past midnight-the three were sat comfortably around the fireplace, with Hermione plowing through the results of their procrastination.

"Honestly," Hermione said exasperatingly, not lifting her eyes from the desk as she worked. "What happened to 'we'll never leave our homework this late again'?"

"You're a lifesaver," Ron replied weakly, sinking deeper into his chair.

Hermione didn't answer, and for a couple of moments the common room was filled with the simple scratches of the quill.

"By the way," said Hermione suddenly, snapping the two boys out of their reverie. "Did you see Link or Zelda today?"

Harry blinked. "Yeah…I saw Link at the hospital wing this morning, why?" He left out the other details, and guiltily shuffled with his feet.

"Hmmm…" murmured Hermione, before triumphantly tossing down her quill and gently shoving the two essays in their general direction. "I'm done with these two."

Harry gratefully accepted the paper. "Thanks 'Mione."

Ron echoed his words as he took his paper.

Hermione let out a 'humph' and crossed her arms. "Just make sure you get it done next time." Her tone was reproving, but her eyes were smiling softly.

"Yes yes," both Harry and Ron answered at the same time.

After bidding Hermione good night, the two boys pranced up the stairs to see that half of their dorm mates were already knocked out. Well, it was past midnight already, so Harry wasn't so surprised.

Ron quickly dove into his covers, and he was out like a lamp after a mumbled, "G'night."

* * *

Harry sat down slowly into his chair, Ron and Hermione copying his movements next to him. The class settled in moments after, and Harry noted that the table in front of them was still empty. Professor Binns drifted in through the chalkboard, and began his monotonous lecture.

Three minutes into the professor's droning words, Harry's eyelids already began to waver, and was about to put his head down to sleep before the door slammed open, jolting most of the students awake from their dazes.

In walked Link and Zelda, both looking rather haggard.

The two had noticeable shadows underneath their usually bright orbs, and they quickly made their way to their seats, giving a small apologetic nod to the ghost. Professor Binns either did not notice, or he chose not to acknowledge the disruption, and continued his speech about the Goblin War.

Harry's head was snapped up, and he shot a questioning look at Link. The blond boy only managed to smile tiredly at him before gathering his supplies out of his bag and to mutter a few words to his female companion.

Class continued without any further interruptions.

* * *

**Hope that tied up some loose ends, though I think it might have just created more…my bad guys. Anyway, thanks so much for all of your feedback! You guys are freakin' amazing! **

**A big thanks to XHikariSoraX, BrandonBGamer, Isli, ZoraBellaQueen, ausherlock, Milton the Blight Lord, dissonantToxophilite, yourworldismine, CandyDechuu, Rainpelt the Doctor, SpriteBlazer, Changeling, MissQuestions-LaAmazingNabo, Faysor, Dragonspirit996, and joshhlover.**

**joshhlover: Sorry, I couldn't fit the reason for their fight in this chapter, and I needed a place to end it, as well as make it within that deadline I told you guys. And about Ganon, I sort of agree, but it's still undecided. **

**ZoraBellaQueen: Indeed, I really can't wait for that part!**

**Changeling: Your reviews always leave me feeling really excited, so thanks! You make an excellent point, and yeah, the villain isn't from Zelda, but it's not technically from the HP series either, sorta. I'll be revealing what happened later, so yeah. Cake for breakfast is the bomb, I tell ya. **

**I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone that favorited or followed this story as well, you guys are awesome! **

**I pm'ed the people with accounts in reply to their reviews as to not mess up the word count too badly, just to let you know. Unless there are a lot of reviews for a chapter, then I will continue to answer each of your responses here at the bottom. **

**Thanks, **

**Doodle**


	14. Chapter 14

**Bomb-ass intro: *Clears throat* I can't think of anything to say, so let's continue with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

As the mass of students drowsily picked their way out of the classroom, Harry quickly shoved away his materials and rushed over to where Link was standing. He gave a light tap onto the blonde's shoulder, and Link turned around.

The boy smiled, crossing his arms. "I know what you want. I'll tell you after lunch."

Not even having the chance to open his mouth, Harry nodded dumbly, flashing the boy a small grin as he rejoined Ron and Hermione.

"What did you need with Link?" asked Hermione, shrugging on her book bag.

"Oh," said Harry, "I just had some questions to ask him."

They quickly accepted his answer, and the trio strolled out of the classroom, beginning to head towards their next course. Class with McGonagall went smoothly, of course, and soon they were heading towards the Great Hall.

Their footsteps rung out in the empty hall, with most of the students having already gone to lunch. The silence was soon broken by Hermione.

"Did," she began, looking forward thoughtfully. "Did Link and Zelda seem a bit off today?"

Harry blinked, surprised. "Yeah…a bit."

"Really?" said Ron. "I didn't notice anything."

Hermione stared at Ron flatly, before turning away. "They both look really tired, not that that's not normal or anything but…"

"But what?" Harry prompted.

They were nearing the Great Hall, and the loud chatter from the students was quickly permeating through the once quiet halls.

Hermione cocked her head to side, and brushed an index to her chin. "This morning, Link asked me about the history of Hogwarts."

"What's so weird about that?" asked Ron.

"Well," said Hermione. "He inquired about any particularly interesting chambers located around the castle, or some kind of important events that occurred here."

Harry froze. "You don't mean-"

Ron frowned. "Maybe, we don't know yet. He could be asking for something completely unrelated for all we know."

Hermione nodded approvingly. "It's better that we don't make any assumptions, but I did lend my copy of the History of Hogwarts to him."

The three walked into the noisy hall, filled with the jovial cheer of half-starved students as they finally quelled the four hour long learning induced hunger. Harry sat down in his seat, and saw that the two transfers were absent.

"I saw them heading towards the library again earlier," Ron stated, catching Harry eyeing the empty seats across from them.

Nodding in response, he quickly filled up his plate, eager to finish fast so that he could hear what Link had to say. He shoveled the food into his mouth, while still taking the time to savor its taste. After polishing off his meal, he gave a quick response to his two best friends as he rose to his feet, and power walked his way to the library. Giving a small smile to Madam Pince, who frowned lightly as he entered, his eyes roved the large room before they finally settled on a pair of students huddled in towers of books.

Seeing Harry approach them, Link smiled welcomingly, and beckoned him over with his hand.

"Hey," Link greeted, scooting over a chair for Harry.

Harry's smile melted into a small frown as he sat down, giving a nod to Zelda, who waved. "Glad to see you, where were you yesterday?" The question was directed towards mainly Link, who rubbed his chin.

"Dumbledore's office," he answered.

"Why?"

Link flicked his earring, and Harry noticed that it was much smaller than before. "This." Link pushed aside the open textbooks in front of them, probably noticing the emerald flames flickering in Harry's eyes.

"Link," said Harry seriously. "_What's going on?_"

Link subtly looked to Zelda, who nodded lightly, and a wry smile danced on his lips. He breathed a deep sigh. "It's a long story."

"I've got time," Harry said flatly, double-checking with the grandfather clock towering over near the corner. "This is my free-period."

"Ah," Zelda sighed, leaning her cheek on a hand. "I can't promise that we'll tell you everything. There are some things that need to stay a secret to everybody."

Harry nodded quickly. "Of course, I understand."

"Then," Link began with a strained voice, and his lips fell into a bitter smile. "First things first Zelda and I are dead."

* * *

Harry stumbled into the Gryffindor common room, his eyes wide as he fell into his usual seat. He pulled his knees up, and wrapped his arms around them, his brain still processing the information from moments ago.

_Dead?_ He shut his eyes tightly, and rubbed them harshly, not stopping until lights flickered in the dark of his eyelids. No wonder those stones were so precious to them…

* * *

"_Harry," said Zelda, grimly. "We're living on borrowed time."_

_ As his mind registered their words, his mouth set itself into a straight line, and he uttered no words, waiting for them to continue. _

_ "Zelda and I retain only flashes of our memories from the moments leading up to our deaths," Link continued. "It wasn't of old age either. We were murdered." _

* * *

Taking a deep breath, he sat quietly, ignoring the hustle and bustle of students as they moved by, occasionally dropping a curious glance to the oddly dismal boy.

_They're older than me too, _he thought with a faint spark of amusement. Then a twinge of annoyance crackled deep in his stomach, and he furrowed his brow. The transfers had tried to evade on the subject of their homes, or details about them in general, and Harry had not pressed them too hard.

He sat in a cloud of darkness for a while before Hermione and Ron joined up with him, both having taking the free time to lighten their load of homework. Fortunately, Link and Zelda had given him the 'okay' with his friends, and he sat up straighter, eager to share the burden of knowledge with some of this closest people.

As they settled themselves in, Harry gave a quick explanation of where and why he left at lunch, and then immediately dove into his exchange with Link and Zelda. Ron and Hermione listened attentively and with bated breathes as they sat up stiff, their backs straightened with curiosity and interest.

As he spoke, Harry found himself faltering more and more, and he paused a couple of times too, taking a moment to let the words sink in for himself before he continued his speech.

Ron's eyes were completely wide. "T-they're d-dead?"

Harry nodded slowly, his eyes downcast. "That's what they said, at least."

"How?" Hermione asked. Her eyes shone with remorse, but her tone betrayed the curiousness she was feeling. "How did they die?"

"I'm not sure," Harry replied sullenly. "They don't know either."

"They don't know-?" said Ron. "What if it was old age or something, then they can rest peacefully and-"

"It was murder." His voice was tight, and betrayed no uncertainty. That elicited gasps from both of them, and silence fell like a blanket over the trio. The fire crackled loudly, and Harry felt himself being drawn towards the glowing wisps of warmth. Staring listlessly into the flames, his mind ran over the words continuously, and for a moment he thought he could hear Sirius' voice. Pinching himself on the arm, Harry blinked at the fireplace, and squinted. That was definitely his godfather's head.

* * *

Zelda grated her eyes over the blueprints, her mind wandering to when she and Link poured their most recent experiences with Harry. They had agreed on not telling him of their origins, and the only thing they were willing to share had been the state of their bodies, and how they ended up here.

Their story had a lot of holes, she knew, but even her and Link would not be able to fill them in. Zelda grit her teeth over their lack of knowledge, and furrowed her brow as she studied the parchment with even more intensity. On a reflex, Zelda glanced over the seat next to her, and noticed that it was empty.

Her mind swam blankly, before remembering that Link still had class. She turned back towards the document in front of her, and wave of exhaustion collided into her, and she forced out a yawn. Blinking owlishly, she looked down at the small, glowing stone, now the size of a pebble after Link split his with her.

_How could it just disappear?_ She wondered with frustration. Seeing how she was getting nothing done here at the library, Zelda decided that a walk outside would help clear her mind, and she gathered up her materials, preparing to exit the castle. She walked down the lonely hallways, her feet moving sluggishly, and her mind at the same pace.

Zelda padded onto the fluffy grass, and settled herself down on a patch right above the lake. Gazing down at the water's clear surface, she studied her image, grimacing slightly at the dark circles shadowing her eyes and her sickly pallor. She looked like a Redead, and well technically she was…

Tucking a few strands of hazelnut silk strands behind her ears, she stared deeply at the center of the lake, feeling faint spark of longing towards the water that milled around near her. A small voice in the back of her head was urging to jump in. Trailing her fingers gently along the water's surface, she hummed softly. An old tune her mother sang for her when she was yet a child. Zelda's Lullaby, a tune held dear by the Royal Family and her favorite melody.

Closing her eyes, she let her thoughts drift peacefully; her fingers creating small ripples in the water. Suddenly, she felt a faint shift in the air, and her eyes snapped open. Her silver orbs pierced the calm lake, scanning for the disturbance. Pinpointing its presence at the center, she dove in without a second thought.

Zelda swam blindly, guided only by her instincts as she continued to push her way forward. Opening her eyelids a smidge, she narrowed her eyes, the murky waters hindering her sight pretty badly. As she neared the center of the lake, she stretched her hand out shakily, though there was nothing in front of her. Zelda floated underwater in the middle of the lake, and dove down even more, the magical presence growing larger and larger as she neared the bottom.

Zelda was running out of air.

Sticking out her hand blindly, her fingers closed down over something round and hard, and in the darkness of the water, it shone like a beacon. Feeling the tightness in her lungs, Zelda torpedoed up to the surface, and gasped as air finally reached her oxygen deprived organs.

Still breathing in harshly, Zelda looked down towards the reward for her effort, and after recognizing it, a pool of shock and fear began bubbling in her stomach.

* * *

Link strolled tiredly out of the dungeons, his brain exhausted after draining its contents from a lesson with Snape. Yawning widely into his hand, he made his way through the packed hallway, keeping his eye out for his female companion. Not seeing Zelda anywhere, he decided that it would be best to set out for his next class, not wanting another tardy after the events of this morning.

Trailing along mindlessly, Link breezed through countless halls and staircases as he made his way up towards the Northern Tower. As Link neared the trapdoor leading to the Divination classroom, his face scrunched up, and he blew out an exasperated breath.

For some reason, Professor Trelawney had taken to calling him "Blue-Eyed Beast", much to the amusement of the class, who snickered quietly every time he was addressed. Glancing around once more for any sign of Zelda and after seeing nothing, he put his hands onto the wood and began to climb up the ladder-

"Link!"

His head whipped towards the voice, and he was surprised to see Zelda run up to him, sopping wet. Her wet shoes make squelching noises as they slapped the hard, stone floor, and droplets of water sprayed the floor with each movement. Link hopped down the rungs of the ladder and joined to meet her on the ground.

Resting her hands onto her knees, Zelda hunched over for a moment to catch her breath, and held up a hand.

"T-this, you have to l-look at this," she said shakily, her back shuddering as she struggled to regain her breath.

"Whoa, whoa," said Link, gently placing a hand onto her shoulder. "Take it easy."

Standing up straight, she shrugged off Link's hand, and squeezed the water out of the hair and clothes. Link waited patiently, and crossed his arms over his chest expectantly.

Zelda took a deep breath, and her voice was deadly serious. "_Link, look at this_."

Her hands were shaking as they stretched over to him, and Link glanced down warily.

"W-wha-?" His voice was caught in his throat, and he blinked multiple times. He felt his heart sink down into his stomach, and bile rise to his throat. "N-no…"

What was the Zora Sapphire doing here?!

* * *

**I…I am a terrible person. Whipping out cliffhangers like I just don't care~ Ahem. I must apologize, last chapter sounded like it was a bit confusing, so I'll go back and revise it. Also I'll try to ease my use of the dreaded cliffhangers, but...it's just so fun. ****I know it's pretty distasteful, but yeah, I apologize again.**** Kudos to anyone who caught that reference I made heh heh. **

**A big thanks to joshhlover, Guest, Isli, BrandonBGamer, Milton the Blight Lord, ChangelingRin, Midna18, and Rainpelt the Doctor for reviewing!**

**joshhlover: Even though Malfoy's a snot, I agree that he changes drastically in the sixth book, and I can see him feeling bad for his actions. I don't really picture anyone in real life as the Zelda characters, since their designs and fanart have really stuck with me haha. And that's a nope for Salazar Slytherin, but good guess though. **

**Guest: Thanks! Hope you liked it!**

**Isli: I apologize if it was confusing, and I plan to change it to make it clearer. I'm glad you liked what Link did, thanks!**

**BrandonBGamer: I'm not sure if you're joking or not, but I appreciate your enthusiasm about Spyro. I will take note of it, however I cannot promise anything.**

**Milton the Blight Lord: Nope, the stone's gone for now~**

**ChangelingRin: *Cheers and throws a party* Hooray! Another cliffhanger just for you~! jk, but I sort of evaded a full-on explanation with Link and Zelda, but all Harry and the others really know is that Link and Zelda are dead, and they're not from here. Hope I didn't make that too vague...**

**Midna18: Thank you very much! I'm glad that you're enjoying the little bits zelink too!**

**Rainpelt the Doctor: I know, I was pretty surprised that Malfoy apologized too, though I didn't think too much about it when I was writing it, lol**

**Thank you to everyone that left a favorite or follow, and your feedback is greatly appreciated!**

**Doodle**


	15. Chapter 15

**I've received some very interesting ideas as to how Link knew of the Zora Sapphire, but in actuality, the answer's rather simple. And I'm sorry about the late update, I've been all caught up with the Akatsuki no Yona fandom, especially since the anime ended. *distant sobs in the corner* give me another season! (and poor Zeno…my baby!)**

**Also, I've gotten my own computer, so updates might take a little less time now. Hooray!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Zelda paused as she set the Zora Sapphire in Link's hand, and she blinked, surprised. "You know what it is?"

Link snorted, and folded his arms. "I might be some simple plebian farmer, but I'm not that stupid."

Zelda looked abashed, and hurried to correct herself, only to be cut off by Link, who waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry, I'm just joking," he said playfully.

"Oh," Zelda mumbled, her lips tugging upwards. "Sorry."

Grinning, Link continued. "Almost everyone knows of the story about the Hero of Time," he said pointedly. "And the three Spiritual Stones are rather important, you know."

Zelda blew into her cheeks, puffing them up. "Of course I know."

"And even if I didn't know the legend, the blatantly Zora-like design would have given it away anyway," he added humorously. Casting his eyes down, he studied the Sapphire, feeling the magical power radiating from it. It felt warm in his hands, but cool to touch at the same time.

"But either way, what could it be doing here?" Link frowned, turning the stone around in his palms. Then he shifted his eyes towards the still-dripping figure of Zelda, and his frown deepened. "And what the hell were _you_ doing?"

Zelda blushed, and she looked away. "I-uh, I went for a swim in the lake."

Link stared at her flatly. "You went to swim in the lake. In the middle of _autumn_."

"Y-yeah," she replied with embarrassment, before quickly amending. "But something was drawing me there, and I felt a strong magical presence. I found the gem in the center of the lake."

Link tossed the stone up and down, his eyes blank as he studied the Sapphire. Then a spark lit behind his eyes, and he took off his robes and placed them around Zelda's shoulders.

"You're going to get sick," he said simply. "And I'd rather not try and attempt a spell. You saw what happened with my potion; I'd prefer it not happen again."

Zelda beamed warmly at him, drawing the clothing tighter around her, and a light pink tinged Link's cheeks.

Link coughed, and wheeled around to face the ladder, pocketing the Sapphire. "We should get to class; it's going to start soon. I'll hold onto the Sacred Jewel for now." He quickly climbed up towards the trapdoor, and lifted himself up, before looking to check to see that Zelda was doing the same.

Link sat down into his seat, nodding a greeting towards the Golden Trio. He pulled out his materials, and emptied out his brain, as usual, in preparation to learn absolutely nothing. He saw Professor Trelawney's gaze land at him, and he grimaced at her silent acknowledgement, almost hearing her say his dreaded nickname silently.

Leaning in from the nearby table, Harry whispered to him, covering his mouth with a hand. "Why's Zelda all wet?"

A small smile graced his lips, before quickly spreading into a grin. "She took a swim in the lake."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"You heard me," Link grinned. Hearing their quiet conversation, Zelda shot them a dirty look, and the two snickered softly. Harry then politely cast a spell in Zelda's direction, and the girl was dry immediately. She smiled pleasantly in his direction in response.

"No problem." Harry nodded, and tucked his wand away.

Seeing as though the professor would take a while to start class, Ron and Hermione scooted their seats over, and Harry wasted no time in blasting off one more question.

"Hey," said Harry, throwing one foot over the chair so that he was facing them.

"Hmm?" hummed Link.

"Why were you and Malfoy arguing?"

Link shot him a dry look. "What do you think? It's _Malfoy_ after all."

"True," Ron conceded.

"Well," Link began, resting his chin on a hand. "He called me a Mudblood, not that I care much or anything, then he insulted Zelda."

"Well not really 'insulted'," Zelda corrected. "It was more like, subtle flirting."

"Yeah well any sort of flirting, I consider an insult," Link said deviously, bracing himself for a whack from Zelda. She complied readily, and Link grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder.

Zelda sniffed. "Humph."

Link continued. "That blond little twat also made a few snide comments about you and Ron too. He said some not too nice things about Ron's mother, and I'd rather not repeat them right now either. Your mom's awesome, by the way." He grinned at Ron, and Ron shrugged, a small smile forming on the red head's lips.

"Link, you're blond too," Zelda pointed out flatly. In reply, Link flicked his wheat colored locks with a dramatic sweep, and smirked.

"Well-"

Professor Trelawney called the class together, and the group quickly returned to their respective tables, and class carried on like any other.

* * *

Link peeked curiously at the crowd huddled underneath a couple of papers framed on the wall, and he pondered whether it was worth it or not to dive into it. Zelda stood next to him, seemingly unwilling to be jostled and pushed around as she narrowed her eyes in a weak attempt to the read the fine print.

"You know, we can just wait for the crowd to leave," he suggested.

"Can't," Zelda replied simply. "We have class soon and there's always going to be more students that have yet to see it."

"Hmm," said Link, his eyes trailing to his well-hidden adventure pouch. "I have an idea, but are you okay with looking slightly like a fool?" His hands dug around the pouch, combing through the various items that he'd acquired throughout his quest.

"What?" asked Zelda warily.

Link's hands finally settled on the Hawkeye, and he swiftly pulled them out to hand to Zelda. She took them hesitantly, eyeing it as she brought it to her eyes. Not a second later Link saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurry towards them, annoyance and franticness hanging on their expressions.

Zelda gladly put the lenses down. "Hello," she greeted amicably.

"You've got to hear this-" Hermione took a second to catch her breath, leaning onto her knees. Harry filled in for her.

"Did you see the papers hung up over there? They're everywhere!"

Link shook his head, and Zelda mirrored his actions.

Ron looked irritated, to say the least. "The toad-Umbridge, she's been 'promoted' to High Inquisitor, the first ever at Hogwarts."

"It was also on the paper this morning, but you guys didn't see it," Hermione added.

"What the heck is a 'High Inquisitor' anyway?" Link asked darkly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Here." Harry pushed a newspaper into Zelda's hands. "Read this."

Looking over Zelda's shoulder, Link's eyes flew across the paper, and his brow furrowed with each passing word. He batted the paper out of her hands, and stared intensely at it.

"What the hell," he frowned harshly.

Zelda grimaced. "It's completely-"

She stopped, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second. Her hands flew to her temple, gently massaging them before they lay idle again at her sides.

"Sorry, migraine."

Link saw that her face was a bit pale, and he felt worry beginning to blossom inside his chest. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? Should we go to the hospital wing? Maybe we should-"

Zelda smiled softly. "Relax, I'm fine. It was only for a second anyway."

Link remained unconvinced, and he opened his mouth, more words balancing at the tip of his tongue.

"You should see Madam Pomfrey," Harry said, sounding concerned. "Just in case."

"No, no, it's fine."

"Unless, was it you guy's-!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. The others shushed him, and he pouted. Zelda laughed, and she waved her hand, dismissing their concerns.

"I'm okay, don't worry."

"If you say so," Link said, still rather skeptical. "Then we should go to lunch, I'm in the mood for pumpkin pie."

[xxxxxxxx]

Link stood outside, the cold, night air brushing against his skin, leaving pinpricks of ice as it blew past him. Darkness draped over him like a blanket, and he welcomed it, feeling the twilight cover him soundly. A rush of excitement coursed through his body, and he took off, four feet pounding lightly on the soft, marshy ground. He had made it part of his daily routine to go out in the Forbidden Forest and stretch his legs. His four wolf legs, that is.

After Midna's sudden departure, Link had kept the stone with the twilight magic, and over time, he had learned to draw on its power by himself. It was much more convenient with the aid of the snarky imp, but not impossible for him to do it alone.

Brushing past the trees and foliage, Link had taken to exploring the dark woods, feeling almost reminiscent of Faron Woods. The paths weren't has laid out as it had been back in Hyrule, but after accidently spending a night in the woods after he had lost his way, Link had made sure to remember the way he had come in and out, and subsequently, ingrained a mental map of the forest.

Might come in handy later, he had decided.

The moon's false light glowed even more here in the pitch black darkness, and Link could easily make out the silhouettes of a couple of horse-like creatures even without his canine senses.

_Welcome, Twilight beast, what brings you here? _The Thestral greeted amiably. It stomped its front leg onto the ground.

Link snorted, one of his ears twitching. _Like you are one to talk. You're not all sunshine and rainbows either_

One of the Thestrals huffed in amusement, stretching and folding its wings. Link pawed at the ground in response, his tongue lolling out in a grin. Even with the exchange of pleasantries, Link could sense the tension of the air, and there was an almost palpable feel of stiffness in the atmosphere.

_What is it that brings you here, Twilight beast? _ The horse repeated, its tone edgier.

_Nothing in particular,_ Link responded casually, but his his eyes narrowed. _But I do have some questions for you. _

_ Oh?_ The Thestral blinked, its warm breath billowing out of its nostrils. _Do continue._

_What do you know of Hyrule? _

[xxxxxxxx]

Zelda's eyes snapped open. Her stomach tumbled nervously, and a pit of worry bubbled inside her mind. Careful to not wake her roommates, Zelda stepped towards the window, and her silver orbs swept over the blankets of darkness, masking the forest outside in black. She could feel it, the looming sense of something that would haunt both her and Link.

The glass provided cool comfort as she pressed her forehead onto it, and for a second, Zelda was distracted from the ominous thoughts swirling in her head. She did not move until the clouds surged forwards, covering the moon's light, and she returned to her bed. She found no solace in her sleep either.

[xxxxxxxx]

Link felt his mouth run dry, and his muscles lock up. _What do you mean…Hyrule doesn't exist…?_

The Thestral eyed him emotionlessly. _It is exactly as it means. What you know as Hyrule is not tangible here. _

_ What does that mean? _Link asked, feeling a cold chill prickle through his fur.

The Thestral sighed, ignoring the unease that filled the rest of the horses, who pawed at the ground fretfully. _We as Thestrals have become very closely associated with death, and therefore have bonded closely with it. Death has willingly overlooked us._

_Our species' age very little, and time is merely but a wind. We can feel the breeze, but it will not push us forward, _another Thestral continued.

Link's brow furrowed, and his tail swished from side to side. _What does this have to do with anything? _

_ It has to do with everything, _the first Thestral said darkly. _We have walked the earth for ages, and long, long ago, there once was a time where the land of Hyrule dwelled in the hearts of all witches and wizards. _

_ But do not be mistaken, Twilight beast, _a Thestral in the back added warningly. _This land was never Hyrule, and it never will be. _

* * *

Link lay wide awake in his bed, clutching at the sheets feverishly. Pangs of unease coursed through his body while his mind was wrapping itself around the words of the death horses.

Still hungering for more answers, he had inquired more with the Thestrals, but they had sent him off with the rising sun as an excuse. Come back when the moon is out again, they had said.

He tossed and turned, but sleep was too far from his grasp, and he sat up in defeat. It was still slightly dark inside, even with the sunlight peeking in gently. The red curtains masked the light, and gave it a reddish tinge. Link preferred it that way. The mornings were always either too dark or too bright.

The blankets were soft and warm over his legs, and he instantly missed the comfort after he kicked them off. His feet made no sound as he stepped across the room, and he could only stare blankly with each step down the stairs. Ultimately, Link had wandered outside again, and he was surprised at how he had managed to evade Filch and Mrs. Norris.

Link took a deep breath in, leaning against a tree, just a few steps into the Forbidden Forest. An involuntary shiver racked his body, and he realized that he had yet to change out of his night clothes.

_Stupid,_ he berated himself, hugging his arms around his torso. His breath fogged up the air around him, and he felt at ease just sitting there, surrounded by familiar, yet unfamiliar nature. He mulled over the words of the Thestrals, picking at them tenaciously. Of course, Link found nothing. The Thestral meant every word they said; there was nothing buried underneath their conversion.

His sleep deprivation was catching up to him, Link noticed, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier with each slow inch of the sun. But it was unlike the time before, where he had been haunted by a nightmare. This time the weight of their situation hung over him like a thundercloud, and Link would not be able to sleep, even if he wanted to.

For a while, the cold bark was the only thing he could feel, its rough surface grating into his back. A twitch in the grass, and Link's eyes snapped open. It was only a squirrel.

He was about to fall back into his rest before he realized that he could feel the sun. Its rays beat down at him at an angle, signaling that breakfast was just over. A frantic rush coursed through him, and he sprinted towards the school. Bolting through the hallways in just his nightclothes, he weaved through the crowds, barely dodging the other students making their way to their classes, and he made it back to the dorms in record time.

Throwing his clothes haphazardly onto his bed, Link grabbed his uniform and shoved it onto his body. He didn't spare a single glance for his appearance, and charged down the stairs, four at a time. The hallways weren't any better, and Link swore that he jumped whole flights of stairs at once, but the pricks of pain didn't register as he flew down towards the dungeons.

If it were any other class, Link would have tolerated the slight tardiness, but this was Snape…and the man's regard of him as of now was not that high. Link probably couldn't care less of other people's opinions of him (a slight lie), but it was rather unpleasant to feel dark eyes bore into him every class period.

The dank halls of the dungeons were coming into view, and Link breathed a relieved sigh, slowing down his speed as he merged with the other students. Link moved with the crowd as they filed into Snape's classroom, and he took his regular spot next to the Golden Trio, shooting them nods of greeting.

"Where were you this morning?" Harry whispered.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, you weren't there in the dorms when we got up."

"We were really surprised," Harry stated in mock wonder, nodding his head voraciously. "You could probably sleep from sun-down to sunrise."

Link frowned indignantly, crossing his arms. "Hey, I wouldn't…probably. And I went for a walk, and I fell asleep."

"Of course," Ron said sagely. "Sleep was the culprit after all."

"It looks like our hypothesis was correct, my dear Watson," Harry said in a deep voice, deciding to play along.

"Knock it off," Hermione patronized, gently whacking the other two's shoulders. She seemed amuse, despite her chiding tone. "Class is about to start."

As if on cue, Snape sauntered in, hair oily as ever, and expression as bright as Ganondorf's future. Not very bright.

Link was handed his moonstone essay back, and he looked down at the parchment to see he had earned a solid Acceptable. Sweet.

"Strive for mediocracy," he quipped, looking up to see his friends' expressions. There was a variety of reactions, and he could easily tell their results just from their faces. There was a large grimace on Harry's face, and it was slowly tugging into a scowl. No need to ask what he got.

Snape gave a small monologue, a sneer on his face as he spoke. Of course, he criticized the class on their overall abysmal grade, and had it not been for their exams, everyone would have failed. Class continued normally on that happy note, and soon the group were walking out of the dungeons and towards the Great Hall.

"So," Link said conversationally. "How'd you guys do?"

"I got an E," Hermione answered simply, in a matter-of-fact tone. "But I would have been thrilled if I'd gotten an Outstanding though." She tucked her essay away, and glanced discretely over to Harry and Ron.

"You know, you can just ask," Ron said sharply as they sat down. He immediately began ladling soup into his bowl. "And I got a P."

Hermione looked flustered. "I-I uh didn't-"

"A P's nothing to be ashamed of," Fred said consolingly, patting Ron on the shoulder as he, George, and Lee Jordan piled onto the Gryffindor table. "There's nothing wrong with a good o' healthy P."

"But doesn't P stand for-" said Hermione.

"Yeah, poor," George finished. "But at least you didn't get a D; Dreadful."

Link noticed Harry's face grow warmer, and he felt sympathy for the black haired boy.

There was a brush of movement, and Zelda was now in the seat next to him, looking slightly out of breath. She tucked her books away, and picked up a plate, not wasting a minute as she ladled food onto its surface.

"Sorry, went to see Professor Binns to ask some questions," she explained, setting her full plate down. "I didn't see you at breakfast today." Link only shrugged.

"Wow," Link whistled as he eyed her mountain of food, impressed.

Zelda fixed him with a flat stare. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not hungry at all."

"Then why-?"

"The dead don't need to eat," Zelda answered in a quiet, slightly hysterical voice. There was a crazed light flickering in her usual controlled quick-silver eyes, and Link felt his throat tighten.

"Yeah…" he said softly. "They don't, do they…"

* * *

The rest of the day continued as any other, and Link found himself anticipating night-fall. It was harder and harder to stay focused, and Link noticed that classes breezed past them, usually with him in some sort of stupor, completely entranced with the prospect of going home. He wanted to go find the Thestrals again, and ask them about the Zora Sapphire. Their conversation last night had been cut short after all.

It was not long until dinner, and as Link sat himself down, his stomach empty. Delicious aromas radiated from the food that magically flew in, and his mouth watered as the platters settled down in front of them.

Link, despite his hunger, only ladled slight amounts of food onto his plate, feeling his arms move mechanically to limit the portions. The stiff, automatic hands that were now bringing the fork up towards his mouth. Almost immediately, he felt his throat tighten up, and his teeth gnash together, and he dropped the fork.

"My bad," he murmured. As if a sudden raincloud had dropped in, the once appetizing meal now looked very unappealing, and he pushed his plate forward. Link was glad that he had only taken small portions.

"What's wrong? Not hungry?" asked Ron with his mouth full. Hermione shot the red head a look of disgust and he grinned sheepishly.

Link shook his head, refusing to give a verbal answer.

"I see." Ron turned back towards his food.

Link looked to the left to see Zelda looking at him sympathetically, her lips tugging upwards to form a melancholic smile. Suddenly, her earlier words from lunch rang in Link's head.

_The dead don't need to eat. _

Link felt a cold chill seeping up from his stomach, and he returned a shaky smile in Zelda's direction. Before his whole body had gone to ice, red, hot determination battled with the sudden cold, and Link quickly shoved more food into his mouth.

He knew it was hopeless, and he felt even more miserable as he ran out of the Great Hall after giving a pleading look towards Zelda.

Link's hands shook violently as he hung over a toilet, just after emptying out his stomach.

The words hung over him like a looming thundercloud, and even after collapsing onto his bed in a frenzied hurry, he had unknowingly changed some of the words as well.

_The dead don't need to sleep. _

Link let out a mirthless chuckle, and he huddled even deeper into his blankets, still in his school clothes. Even with the added layers of his clothes and blankets, Link could feel trembles run down his body. He didn't feel time pass by him, and soon his roommates had entered as well. He feigned sleep, though he could feel the curious gazes of the other tenants of the room. After a few minutes of chatter, the lights went out and soon the room was filled with the quiet sounds of slumber.

After lying around uselessly in his bed, Link got up and grabbed the Shadow stone, careful not to touch the surface of it with his skin. Enveloped in a cloth, he pocketed it, and set out of the dorm, before slinking into the shadows.

This time, he transformed inside the hallways. Link managed to get halfway there, until a hiss stopped him in his tracks, and he turned towards the sound, hackles raised, and his fangs bare.

It was Mrs. Norris.

_What are you doing here? _

Link stopped growling, but he was not any less tense. _Not any of your business, feline. _

The Maine Coon looked irritated, but before she could spit out a snarl, the air seemed to have caught her attention and she sniffed.

_Strange…you have the scent of a human on you. _

_Well, I hang out with a lot of humans, _Link retorted, the shackles clinking against the floor as he moved his paw forward.

_No, _Mrs. Norris snapped. _You _radiate _a human smell. There's a wolf scent too, but the human one is also very prominent. _

Link didn't answer, but his ear twitched.

Mrs. Norris eyed him suspiciously. _You are not an Animagus, are you? _

Link barked a negative. _No, but I am human. The Twilight sustains my current form. _

A light of recognition seemed to have flashed in the cat's intelligent eyes, and her tail flicked from side to side. _Creature of the Twilight, huh? We beasts have not forgotten. Go. I will not alert my owner. _

Link dipped his head in gratitude. _Thank you, Mrs. Norris. _

The cat scoffed. _That silly name the old fool came up with. Just call me Nora. Closest thing Filch could get to the original thing. _Despite her harsh words, she spoke of her caretaker fondly.

_Got it, Nora. _Link grinned, baring his sharp canines. He flicked his tail in a friendly gesture, and he continued his run towards the forest. After sneaking through a little hole in the side of the castle, near the Great Hall, Link managed his way across the patchy grass and into the dark woods.

The night air felt refreshing on Link's terse body, and he bounded onto the familiar path with extra enthusiasm.

* * *

**This chapter was a bit longer, and I hope you enjoyed it! By the way, last chapter I included the 'keep it a secret from everybody' line, don't know if anyone caught that. **

**A big thanks to Rainpelt the Doctor, ChangelingRin, Midna18, dissonantToxophilite, yourworldismine, Bluebird101, TriforceOfDerp, Zelda Fan, Isli, bowser3000000 (hope I got all of the zeros right…), Dragonspirit996, and joshhlover for reviewing! **

**dissonantToxophilite: Forget handing you a cookie, I WANT TO THROW YOU A BUILDING-SIZED BASKET OF CAKE! You my friend, are my resident Sherlock. Great observation, you literally had me jumping around with joy, and my dad saw me and was like 'wtf is wrong with you,' lol. Too bad it's not Hyrule though, but wonderful job. Thanks!**

**Rainpelt the Doctor: It seems like I forgot to fill out the rest of my response, and I must apologize, but I did go back and finish it, sorry. And by the way, that is a superb nickname. I give it two thumbs up! Thanks for the review! **

**ChangelingRin: The spiritual stones weren't in TP, (I would know, I've played it like four times now, and I only got the game last summer lol) Anyway, thanks for the input! **

**Midna18: I know right, the Percy Jackson series is full of them. I remember even chucking my book at a pillow after finishing one of the books in the sequel series. Like 'why would you do this Rick?!' Anyway, thanks for the review!**

**Bluebird101: I remember reading your review at like 5 in the morning, and your comment had me grinning super widely, even with my half-asleep self. Thanks so much! **

**yourworldismine: Sorry for the cliffies, they're hard to resist~ but I won't use them as much later on unless the story calls for it. Thanks!**

**TriforceOfDerp: Link turns into a wolf here, but your awaited moment will not be long. If everything goes as I planned, it should be soon. But thanks for your review!**

**joshhlover: Oh yeah, I heard about that trailer, but I never really cared about the cast members. I would actually prefer an animation for LoZ, but hey, to each their own, amiright? And you might be on to something about the Kokiri Emerald, but no, it's not the Whomping Willow. Thanks!**

**bowser3000000: My dear, you're going in the right track, keep it up~ and thanks for the review!**

**Isli: Your questions are very good, but they will unanswered, my friend. For now, at least. Thanks for the review!**

**Dragonspirit996: Hmm…the Zoras right now…are incapacitated…heh heh. Thanks for the review! **

**Zelda Fan: Your questions was answered in the chapter I think, since the legend of the Hero of Time is quite well known, or at least in this story it is. (Sudden flashback to Shad's initial reaction to Link; pffft a cosplayer) and don't worry too much about the Zoras right now, though you've probably read my previous response *devious snickering***

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed/left a favorite/followed! You guys keep me motivated, and I don't know what I would do without you! **

**Thanks, **

**Doodle**


	16. Chapter 16

**WOW WE'VE REACHED 100 REVIEWS! Thank you guys so much! (U)**

**I have no excuses. I was exceptionally lazy this week, and with it being spring break already should had inspired me to work even harder, yet I did not. My apologies, it seems like my procrastinating personality is taking over my writing work ethic as well. I also can't believe we're at chapter sixteen already~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for this story's plot.**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Link felt a howl rise in his throat, but he suppressed it as no other wolves resided in the Forbidden Forest, and he'd rather not catch the attention of people and animals alike. His feet pushed quietly on the leave strewn ground, and only the slight crunch of the leaves and his shackles could be heard. Link twisted around the trees, weaving himself through the dark forest until he was near the area where his and the Thestral's conversation had taken place last night.

He let out a small whine, swishing his tail from side to side as he called for the demonic horses. There were no signs of them.

Link circled the spot and fell onto his stomach. He looked up at the heavens, and was surprised to see that the moon was completed concealed by waves of clouds. The eerie light of the night had not come from the moon then, Link noticed. The curtain of stars sparkled brightly, and lit up the night in muted glows.

Link huffed in annoyance and exasperation. The Thestrals sure took their words seriously…maybe tomorrow night would yield better results. Sighing heavily, Link's tail flopped from side to side in a dejected manner, and he padded slowly through the woods, back towards the castle.

Link took his time. Like there would be anything better to do back inside Hogwarts. Sleep was unfeasible, and fortunately the night air outside was crisp and fresh, and Link relished it immensely in his trek back. The castle itself was similar to the woods. While unnaturally dark and creepy, Link could sense the movement in the paintings, as well as critters that hid themselves in the nooks and crannies of the decrepit walls. He also made sure to look out for the occasional ghost that floated around.

He shift-shaped outside their dorms, and stepped into the room cautiously. Glancing around to see that no one else was awake, he crept towards his bed, the cold floor sending cold pricks up his feet.

He placed one foot in his bed before hearing a sleepy groan.

_Shit._ Cursing through his teeth, Link jumped into bed as quietly as he could.

"…whozzat?" Seamus' voice rang out sluggishly, and Link flinched.

He responded with feigned tiredness. "It's me, Link. I went to the bathroom."

A heartbeat of silence. "Oh…okay."

Link released the breath that he had been unknowingly holding, and relaxed back under his covers. If he couldn't sleep, then he might as well unwind as best he could.

Like hell he could.

Link sat up. His muscles moved with coiled up excitement, but his mind was struggling to keep up. He slid out of bed for the fifth time today, and made to sit on the floor. The rug laid out in the center of the room looked rather inviting, and he scooted over to kneel on it. Maybe he could think clearly here…

_Well, _he thought harshly. _What the fuck am I supposed to do now? _

* * *

Harry sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes furiously with his knuckles. He stopped when he saw fireworks. Sliding out of bed, his emerald eyes caught the sleeping figure on the floor, a few feet in front of him.

"Link?" he said, grabbing his glasses and pushing them on his face.

"Yeah…?" the blond groaned back, burrowing deeper into the carpet's fur.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Harry asked roughly. He walked towards the curtains, and drew it far enough back that sunlight was shining directly on the blond.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Link spit back, shying away from the light. Harry was pretty sure that the transfer had hissed upon contact with the warm rays.

"Going through menopause, that's what," said Harry, nudging Link with a foot.

"Stop it," snapped Link.

Harry sighed. "And I thought you were supposed to be older than me. What kind of figure am I supposed to be looking up to?"

"Quit your sass."

Harry grinned, and shrugged, not that Link would be able to see or anything. "Whatever. Where were you last night?"

Link grunted in response. "I didn't feel too well, so I went back."

"Oh," said Harry, "Okay." He turned over to the sleeping ginger, who seemed to be still frolicking peacefully in the haven of his dreams.

Harry prodded Ron in the stomach, and the ginger groaned.

"What?" he moaned, yanking his blankets up, almost socking himself in the face.

"Get up," ordered Harry. "We still have classes today. You can sleep in tomorrow."

Ron sat up like a machine, stiff and robotic. His eyes were still half-shut, and he winced when the light fell on him. "Why does school exist?"

Link nodded sagely from his spot on the carpet. "My thoughts exactly."

Harry sighed, and he went to get dressed after going through the morning essentials. Pulling the sleeve of his robe over his arm, he looked at the two bums still lying half-awake.

"Get up," he said exasperatingly. "You're going to miss breakfast."

"So be it," Link mumbled, his tone much darker then Harry had expected. "Sleep is my top-priority right now."

Ron looked torn, and he decided that sleep could wait for tonight, and he rolled out of his covers. The red head rushed in and out of the bathroom, and then he dived into a fresh set of clothes.

"I'm ready," announced Ron, standing next to the door, staring at the other two expectantly. He peeked at the other beds. "Oh, looks like Neville and the others are gone already."

"They left about ten minutes before you," Link said through the carpet, his words slightly muffled from the fur.

"So are you coming or not?" said Harry, eyeing the blond on the floor. "First hour's with Professor Trelawney after all."

"I think I'd rather skip."

"I don't think so." Harry dragged Link upwards and pushed him into the bathroom. "You're not leaving until I hear the sound of the water turning on."

Silence, and then the sound of the faucet.

Link knocked on the door. "Can I come out now?"

"That depends, were you faking?" Harry called, feeling more like a mom right now.

There was a long pause, with the water being turned on and the sound of teeth being brushed, almost exaggeratingly, and then Link slammed the door open.

"There, I'm done. Let's go."

Harry shook his head. "Unless you're planning on walking through the halls with those clothes on then I think you're staying."

Link looked down to see that he was still in his sleeveless tee and baggy green pants, and he sighed. He dug through his trunk and threw on clean clothes. He gave the other two a flat look, and began heading out the door.

"Geez," said Harry. "You're absolutely terrible in the mornings."

Link scowled at him. "Shut up."

That brought out laughs from Harry and Ron, and the walk downstairs was not complete without their friendly banter. The Great Hall was loud as usual, and the Harry rejoiced as the pleasant aromas of food filled his nose. They strolled towards the Gryffindor table, and saw that Hermione and Zelda were already seated.

"You guys are slow," Zelda said simply.

"It's because of him," Harry said accusingly, pointing at Link, who grinned sheepishly. "It takes like half an hour to get him up."

"I empathize with you, my friend."

As Harry piled on tons of goodies onto his plate, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Link and Zelda had yet to eat anything, and their plates were still clean and sparkly.

"You guys eating anything?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'm not hungry." Link nodded along with her words.

"Suit yourselves." Harry stuck the egg laden fork into his mouth, suspicion evident in his eyes. Eh, he shouldn't be too concerned about what they did or did not do. Breakfast rolled around normally, and the group gathered up their materials to head to Professor Trelawney's class. Hermione went on her own along the way, as her classes were a couple of hallways down. The halls leading up to there were strangely quiet, or at least quieter than other days, Harry noticed.

"I heard Umbridge's sitting in on this class," Ron commented, the left side of his lip tugging downwards, clearly expressing his distaste.

"Wonderful," Link quipped sarcastically.

"But I do hope Professor Trelawney will be able to handle herself with Umbridge in the room," said Zelda, her voice concerned.

They climbed up the ladder one by one, and sat themselves down in their respective seats. It seemed like only half of the class was present, and students were still trickling in slowly. Harry had only one last textbook to take out by the time Umbridge had promenaded into the classroom, and he noted the smug expression hanging off her plump face.

Professor Trelawney called the class together once everyone was settled in, dressed in her usual unusual garb. Once she finished her rounds of handing out the Dream Oracle, the other professor in the room cleared her throat.

"You've received my note, I trust," Umbridge said lightly with a wide smile. "Giving the time to prepare and date your inspection?"

Professor Trelawney nodded curtly, and looking rather disgruntled, turned her back to the other professor and resumed handing out textbooks to the students. Once her hands were empty once more, she turned to the class, grasping her shawl with slightly shaking hands.

"Now, class, we shall continue our study of prophetic dreams today," she said. "Divide into pairs, and interpret each other's latest nighttime visions with the aid of the Oracle."

[xxxxxxxx]

Link swiveled his chair around to face Zelda, one hand absentmindedly flipping through the textbook, the other dancing around on his knee.

"So…anything interesting lately?"

"…Last night, I think…I had another dream." Zelda's face was serious, and she wore an unusually fretful expression.

Link's expression peaked, and his voice was filled with sudden urgency. "_Oh."_

Zelda's eyes flickered nervously from side to side, and she fiddled with her fingers shyly. "It…it was a fairy again. This time it was a yellow fairy, like the one you saw when you passed out, I think."

"A female one, yeah?"

"Yeah," answered Zelda. "It-She said only a couple of words, and then I woke up."

"What did she say?" asked Link, leaning forward in his chair.

Zelda paused, her eyes shut as she tried to recall the words. There was a discouraged murmur of discontent from her. "I wrote them down first thing when I woke up, but I can't seem to remember them right now..."

Link blinked. It was Zelda that had the superior memory between the two, although Link could say that his was also pretty decent. It wasn't easy trying to navigate with just the map and compass in all of those dungeons and temples.

"If only those dreams could come more often. If only I could _actually sleep_," said Zelda, sounding frustrated. It was unusual to see her unwound so easily, but Link could relate.

Link's eyes softened, and he felt a pool of affection flush through his core. At least he wasn't alone. He had a companion that was going through the same thing he was. Empathy locked inside his heart. "Yeah…"

"But anyway," Zelda said hurriedly, her eyes suddenly glancing to where Professor Umbridge sat, jotting down notes by the second. "Your dream?"

"My dream…" Link said loosely, bringing a leg up to rest his foot on the chair. "I've got nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," Link repeated firmly. "I mean I did I sleep on the carpet, so serves me right."

Zelda eyed him oddly, her quick-silver eyes filled with questioning. "You slept on the carpet."

Link's smile was blinding. "Yep. Couldn't sleep on the bed so I thought change was an order."

Zelda sighed exasperatingly, and a small smile ghosted over her mouth before it turned into full laugh. It'd been a while since Link heard her laugh like that, one so filled with humor and happiness.

She opened her mouth to comment on it, but Professor Trelawney seemed to be heading in their direction and she lowered her voice. "Hurry, make something up."

The professor was a few feet away, and Link straightened up.

"So, last night," he stated flatly. "I had a dream that a strange man dressed in a green spandex suit and red underpants was stalking me, and he kept on hounding me about fairies."

Zelda's mouth twitched, but she continued to leaf through the pages.

"Good, good," Professor Trelawney said approvingly. "Your night's vision will dictate how your next few days will play out. Blue-eyed beast, I believe you will have a very interesting week-"

"If I may note, what is this 'blue-eyed beast' you are talking about?" a sickly sweet voice cut in. Link felt his gut cringe at his dreaded nickname come out of the professor's mouth.

"The boy's eyes," Professor Trelawney said mysteriously. "Do they not remind you of a beast's?"

Link covered his mouth with the palm of hand and looked away, eyeing Zelda with a flat look as she stifled giggles with the sleeve of her robe. He could feel Professor Umbridge's beady eyes on the back of his head, and stared intently at his textbook in avoidance.

"Well I don't know about the eyes," Professor Umbridge said curtly, after a heartbeat of silence. "But his personality strikes the bulls-eye with one."

Link's cheek twitched, but he bit his tongue to keep silent. He heard a small escaped laugh tunnel its way out of Zelda's hand, and he narrowed his eyes at her, earning an even more amused reaction. The two professors ambled away from their table, and Link let out a breath of relief, feeling the heavy presences of the two teachers fade away as they put more distance between them.

"Well-" said Zelda, now wearing a wide smile, revealing teeth.

"Don't say anything," Link interjected, annoyed.

She didn't reply, but a silent chuckle permeated the air once more. With their work done and out of the way, especially with bullcrapping about seventy-five percent of it, Link and Zelda were able to eavesdrop over the conversation held by the two professors'.

"So, how long have you held this post?" Professor Umbridge asked, her hand hovering over her clipboard, pen ready in hand.

Professor Trelawney scowled, and folded her arms across her shawl. They were drawn tightly against her torso, as if trying to protect herself as much as possible from the indignity of the inspection. "Sixteen years," she answered stiffly, in a deeply resentful tone.

"My, what a long period of time," Umbridge commented, her voice dripping in honey. "So was it Professor Dumbledore that hired you?"

"Yes, he did," Professor Trelawney said shortly.

"Hmmm, you are the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated seer Cassandra Trelawney, yes?"

"Yes," replied Professor Trelawney.

Umbridge scribbled down another note.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but you are the first in your family besides Cassandra to have the second sight?"

"Yes, it-er, things like these skip three generations."

Umbridge's smile widened, and she jotted down some more notes.

It seemed like Link and Zelda weren't the only ones eavesdropping on the adult's conversations, and Link noticed almost all of the other students peeking over their textbooks to watch the exchange.

"Then would you kindly make me a prediction?" asked Umbridge.

"I don't understand you," Professor Trelawney said stiffly, pulling on her shawl, her bug-like eyes widening.

"I'd like for you to make me a prediction," said Professor Umbridge, very clearly.

Professor Trelawney shook her head, her movement taut and robotic. "The Inner Eye does not see on command," she said, scandalized.

"I see," Professor Umbridge finally said, her voice smug as she added more information down on her clipboard.

"Wait-" Professor Trelawney continued in a more rushed voice. At this Link turned away, hearing enough. He could still make out her worried bull prophecy, but it did not take much to ignore it. He focused on his dream journal, intent on filling it with whatever useless jargon he could spit out so he wouldn't have more work to do in the next few days. He tried not to include too many details of home.

Apparently it had ended, with Professor Trelawney standing rooted to the spot, chest heaving when Link finally looked up. He could feel a small bubble of sympathy for the woman, however much of a fraud she seemed to appear right now. Despite her failure to deliver an accurate prediction, Link could sense some sort of truth in the professor's 'inner eye'. Maybe she had yet to redeem herself.

Snapping out of whatever stupor she was in, Professor Trelawney flitted from table to table, demanding to see whatever start they had on their dream journal, before she stopped in her tracks next to Harry and Ron's table, one away from where Link and Zelda sat. Link exhaled, grateful at not being the one hounded by the maniacal professor's forecasts.

Professor Trelawney spent the rest of the class interpreting Harry and Ron's dreams, and as the bell rang, Link wasted no time in shooting down the hatch, silently thanking the goddesses for the well-timed bell. Straightening his clothes as he waited for Zelda to climb down the ladder, he saw Professor Umbridge walking quickly down the hallway, in the direction of her own classroom.

Ten minutes later, Link walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to see Professor Umbridge sitting down at her desk, looking expectantly at the mobs of students streaming in. Link and Zelda took their usual seats, both of their expressions identically blank. After a few seconds, Harry, Ron, and Hermione trailed in.

"Wands away," she instructed smilingly, and the students who had been looking forward to using them begrudgingly tucked them away. "As we finished chapter one last lesson, I would like you to turn to page nineteen and commence chapter two, 'Common Defensive Theories and Their Derivation.' There will be no need to talk."

There was an audible sigh heard collectively throughout the classroom, and for a while, the only sound that could be heard was the shuffling of pages and an occasional groan. Umbridge herself was walking down the aisles, humming softly to herself, a wide smile sitting on her face.

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" said Professor Umbridge. "Do you have a question?"

"No, professor," answered Hermione with a shake of her head. "But I've already read page nineteen, as well as the whole chapter."

"Then proceed to chapter three."

"I've already read that. I've already read the whole book," said Hermione.

"Hmmm, really?" tittered Professor Umbridge, a hard glint in her eyes.

"Yes, professor," Hermione responded firmly.

"Then, you should be able to tell me what Slinkhard says about counterjinxes in chapter fifteen," said Professor Umbridge, her voice turning harsh.

Hermione answered the question without batting an eye, and Umbridge raised an eyebrow. Link could feel that even she was impressed against her will.

"But I disagree," continued Hermione.

Link could feel that a repeat of their first class here happening all over again, and he shut his eyes and laid his forehead down to rest on his folded arms. It seems like this would be another long class…

* * *

Zelda walked out of the classroom with a half-asleep Link in tow. He trudged sleepily behind her, his eyes heavy as his feet stumbled against the stone floor.

"Link," Zelda called gently. "Snap out of it, we have class." She clapped her hands loudly in front of his face, and he jumped.

"I thought we had a free period…" Link said weakly.

"We do."

"Then why-"

"Shut up and come with me," ordered Zelda, her hand clutching at Link's upper arm. She pretended not to feel the muscle on it. The halls were sparsely populated, and it didn't take long to reach their destination. They were at the library again. Zelda smiled softly at the librarian, who nodded at them. You could say she and Link were regulars here.

"Why are we at the library?" asked Link, reclining in his comfy armchair, a randomly drawn history book sitting on his lap.

"To research," Zelda replied simply, a thick tome resting on her knees.

"Yeah I get that," said Link, annoyed. "But why the urgency?"

Zelda sighed, and rubbed her temple methodically. "That headache from a day ago, it flashed a memory."

"Wha-?"

"Not really a memory, more like a premonition" Zelda amended, her brow furrowed.

"What was it? What did it show?" said Link.

Zelda gestured with her arm, enveloping their current positions and area. "Us. Where we're sitting now, with the exact same books and everything."

"You sure it was a premonition?" asked Link, his voice laced with worry and doubt. "Could it be a hallucination? Déjà vu?"

"No," snapped Zelda, extra bite in her tone. "I'm sure of it."

Link blinked, taken aback from her harsh manner. "Oh, sorry."

"No, no, I'm sorry," Zelda said, a sigh in her voice as she glanced apologetically at him.

"It's fine," responded Link. "But anyway, are we just researching again then?"

"It seems like it," answered Zelda, flipping through the thick pages. "But I'm positive that we will find something."

"Sure." Link lowered his head as he flicked open the book on his lap, and silence fell upon them for a while. Then Zelda noticed that Link's eyes had narrowed upon reaching a certain section of the book.

"What's wrong?" asked Zelda, feeling anticipation flood her mind. This would definitely lead to something, and she felt her insides clench excitedly.

"Uh," said Link slowly. "It feels like a few parts are missing over here."

"Really? What are you reading?"

"It's called the _History of Enchants_. It's a record of important events that occurred here in the wizard's world. Quite lucky that we stumbled upon it; I don't know how it managed to evade us this whole time we spent here."

"Indeed," murmured Zelda, moving over to look over the book, her shoulder bumping with Link's. "Where is it that you said looked like it was missing?"

"Here." Link pointed an index to a portion just before the middle of the book. The pages didn't look ripped out, but it definitely felt empty there. Almost as if something supernatural had been enchanted over the tome.

"There's no skip in the page numbers here either," Zelda noted softly, breezing through the book airily. "But there's an undeniable gap over there, though I don't know how to explain it."

Link nodded vehemently. "Yeah."

"I'll go check it out then," declared Zelda, standing up with the book tucked under her arm. She walked over to Madam Pince, and quickly signed the book out under her name. As she strolled back over to where they sat, Zelda noticed that Link had gotten another book out from the shelf and was now leafing through it diligently.

"What's that?" asked Zelda, falling down back into her seat.

"It's a book."

Zelda fixed him with a flat look, and he smiled.

"I'm not quite sure, actually," Link admitted, eyeing the worn cover apprehensively. "The cover's completely ruined."

"Have you gotten anything important from it?"

"I dunno," Link said truthfully, "I was worried about the presence of the Spiritual Stone, so I thought we should do a bit more research about that too."

"Link?" said Zelda abruptly.  
"Yeah?"

"How high do you think the chances of the other Spiritual stones being here?" Zelda could feel how heavy her voice sounded, and deemed it appropriate for the situation. She couldn't tell whether the stones being here were a gift or a curse.

Link seemingly mulled over the words as he reclined in his chair and folded his arms. "I don't know. I can't tell if it would be a good thing or not if the other ones were here though…"

_My thoughts exactly, _Zelda found herself muttering in her head.

Link continued. "Since the Zora Sapphire was pretty near Hogwarts, I would assume that the other two would be as well. The Kokiri emerald would probably be near or in the Forbidden Forest, but the Goron Ruby…" Link paused, and then a goofy grin flashed on his lips. "Are there any volcanoes around here?"

Zelda felt a small laugh burst through, but she shook her head. "I share your sentiments, though the placement of the Goron Ruby can be debated."

"Should…should we try looking for them?" Link asked tentatively. "Do you think they would help with getting back home?"

"There's no doubt about it," Zelda answered firmly, feeling a glint of resolution glide over her eyes. "They originated from our world, there's got to be something with them."

"Then tonight," Link said resolutely, "would you like to accompany me into the Forbidden Forest?"

Zelda almost choked. "Excuse me?"

"I know it sounds absurd, but would you like to go into the Forbidden Forest with me tonight?" Link repeated in a softer tone, swiveling his head as he checked their surroundings.

"It would be my pleasure," Zelda answered, her eyes lighting up.

"Great!" Link said happily.

"But why does it sound like it's not your first time going on an excursion into the woods?" she said suspiciously. At this Link grinned guiltily, his blue eyes now adorned with a cheeky look.

"So you've got some explaining to do then," said Zelda drily.

* * *

Link sat idly on his bed, whistling quietly as he watched his roommates get ready for bed. He swung his legs in the beat of the tune; a longer, more in-depth version of Epona's song.

"Looks like Harry's still not back from detention, huh," Link pointed out indolently, pausing in his music making.

"Seems like it," Ron answered simply, though he did shoot worried glances at the door occasionally. Link leaned back on his hands, not stopping the motion of his feet as he observed the other boys in the room prepare.

"But anyway," Dean piped up, climbing up onto the mattress. "Aren't you getting ready for bed?" He eyed Link meaningfully, as said boy was still fully clothed and looked as though getting ready for bed was the last thing on his mind. Which it was though.

"Nah, not yet" Link replied casually. "I'm not tired, not at all."

"But you gotta sleep," Neville protested, a surprising amount of concern in his voice. Link felt his eyebrows raise, but he smiled widely.

"It's okay, sleep is for the weak," he joked, and he felt several pillows fly at his face. He dodged all of them, and threw them back with laughter.

"Anyway, I gotta meet with Zelda," explained Link, looking purposefully at the clock hanging on the wall. He still had around fifteen minutes.

Without even looking, Link could feel the suggestive expressions that the other boys had donned, and he sighed, feeling the tips of his ears redden. "Not like that," he grit out bashfully. "We have some research to do for this project."

"Research," Seamus snickered, putting air quotes with his fingers. Link blushed, but quickly smothered it with a glare, though his ears still were rather warm.

"I thought you weren't allowed outside after curfew though," said Neville softly.

"It's real research," Link insisted in a flustered voice. "And it's for a project from our home country. Dumbledore gave us the 'okay'."

"Ohhh," said Dean, sounding much more interested. "Speaking of which, where are you from? I know Dumbledore said North America, but what country? Which city?"

Link stuttered, glancing nervously at the clock. "Uh, I have to go meet Zelda now!" He knew it would raise suspicion, but spouting some bull answer that didn't make sense would worsen their situation, he supposed. Link didn't run out of the room, but he kept his pace quick as he strode across the dorm to the door. "See ya!"

"Well that's not suspicious," Link heard Seamus mutter as he shut the door, breathing a soft sigh as wooden frame of the door clicked in with its frame. Link let out another sigh, his back leaning against the stone wall, the cold surface seeping in onto his skin even with his clothes.

Realizing that there was still time left before his and Zelda's rendezvous, and that Filch would began his daily ritual of prowling the hallways, Link had nowhere to go but the common room. Back in their dorm was definitely not an answer.

Link inched down the steps, the clap of his shoes against the stone being the only sound in the staircase, and it echoed gently. Recognizing another pair of footsteps, Link faltered, and peered down curiously at the bottom. So Harry was back.

"Harry? S'that you?" he called. There was a muffled reply of a 'yeah.'

Link skipped down the stairs to see said boy standing near the stairs, nursing his right hand carefully. Even with it being slightly covered, the bright, red, inflamed skin stood out like a beacon, and Link made a sympathetic grunt in the back of his throat.

"I won't ask how detention went, 'cause I know it sucked, right?" said Link gruffly.

Harry had a weak grin on his face. "Yeah, it sucked bullocks."

"Ha," chortled Link. "Bullocks…"

"Anyway," began Harry, raising an index to push his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "What are you doing down here?"

"I've got some stuff to do with Zelda," Link said offhandedly.

"Stuff?" asked Harry.

"I think we might be able to find something from back home!" It wasn't easy trying to keep the excitement from his tone, so Link let it all out after keeping most of it suppressed for the day.

"Really?" said Harry, catching on a bit to Link's excitement.

"Yeah!" Link chirped happily. He then lowered his voice, looking around to see if anyone else was around, and when he deemed it all clear, whispered, "Zelda and I are going to the Forbidden Forest."

Harry's eyes widened measurably. "Why?!"

"Shhh," Link whispered harshly, then he broke out into a wide grin. "Don't tell anyone else but, Zelda and I are doing some 'soul searching.'" There were air quotes around the last phrase.

Harry nodded, his mouth positioned to launch off another question. There was obvious curiosity, and of course, the boy's eyes shone with wonder and confusion.

"Ah," noticed Link, glancing at the great grandfather clock in the corner. "I gotta go." Link waved once as he took off for halls, not looking back as Harry raised his arm in a gesture of parting.

Link refrained from transforming this time, and it was a bit harder to navigate the halls, especially so with all of the torches that lit up the way being extinguished. He saw Nora (Mrs. Norris) along the way, and the cat flicked her tail in a greeting. Link paused in his trek down the halls, kneeling down to stroke the cat gently behind her ears.

"Hey," Link greeted softly, his fingers eliciting a purr from the feline, who rubbed her cheek against his hand. "I gotta meet with Zelda later, so I'll see you soon."

The Maine Coon meowed in response, and shied away from his hand. She flicked an ear in the direction of another hallway, and Link took that as a sign that Filch was near.

"Thanks," he whispered, and ducked into the shadows. They had agreed to meet outside of the castle, near the entrance into the woods. Link snuck out onto the patchy grass through a tunnel located behind a set of armor. He had sensed it there in wolf form the night before, but the hole in the ground had been a better solution in beast form.

Link padded on the grass, cloaked in shadow as he waited for his companion. It took a few minutes, but Zelda finally stepped out of the darkness, looking slightly winded.

"Sorry," she breathed, "the girls in my dorm wouldn't sleep."

"It's fine," Link said good-naturedly. "I narrowly missed getting caught by Filch too."

"Let's go," said Zelda, looking decidedly into the ominous woods. "You know the way, right?"

Link nodded an affirmative, tilting his head up to look at the sky, and smiled in appreciation to see that the moon was present in all of its celestial glory. They walked gingerly into the woods, with Link guiding the way, giving warnings about other beings that resided here.

"Here," said Link, holding out a hand. Zelda eyed him curiously, not being able to see what he was doing.

"Take my hand, it's pitch-black out here, and you might get lost." It was too dark to clearly make out her expression, but Link felt her soft hand brush in with his, and his fingers closed down gently but firmly around hers. There was a squeeze back, and they continued their trek through the woods.

"I've never been in a forest before," Zelda breathed out suddenly, her voice mixed in wonder, the cloak on her body billowing gently with the small wind.

"Really?" said Link.

"Yeah, I've really never gotten a chance to go to Faron or Ordon," answered Zelda honestly, taking a cautious step over a thick log. "There was never a need to, and my presence in the castle was almost always required."

"You should, though," said Link, feeling a soft smile start to form as he described his home. "Faron Woods in the day is beautiful, and the springs there are also works of nature."

Zelda hummed an answer, sounding pleased. "When we go back, I'll definitely make a trip there, and I'll visit Ordon village too. It sounds like a very nice place."

Link laughed, taking a turn toward the left, weaving through the thick underbrush, Zelda following steadfastly behind him. "It is, and I can serve as your tour guide too, that is, if you want."

Zelda responded with her own, a pleasing-to-hear chime in the wind that floated lightly in the air. "I would love for you to."

They mingled into the forest, until they arrived in a small clearing lit up with moonlight.

"We're here," said Link finally, looking around for the death horses. Their presence must have alerted the equestrians, and they padded out calmly from the depths of the woods. Seeing them, Zelda's hand slipped out of his own, and Link instantly missed the warmth from it.

_I see you've come, _the Thestral said, addressing both of them.

Zelda blinked in surprise. "You are able to speak in our minds?"

_Of course, _the Thestral snorted in amusement. _You are the Goddesses' Chosen, are you not? You bear two of the three pieces of origin; fragments of the heaven's powers, of which who forged the land, gave it order, and sprung life from it. It is a given that you as Hylians are more in tune with nature, and that is enough for us to communicate. _The other horses stamped their hooves in approval, and Link and Zelda traded looks of bewilderment and wonder.

_But this world is not all like yours, _the Thestral continued with a darker air. _While you revered the Goddesses', this realm holds a variety of different beliefs. Some follow the natural order; they study the structure of matter and everything within it, and believe that with every action, surely an explanation will follow it. Others worship a god, or many gods. They are beings not unlike your own, and those that follow hold a set of tenets dear to them. There are many more, and such is the way our world works. _

_ We can tell you have questions, _another Thestral said knowingly, one of its ears twitching.

_And we have answers,_ the first Thestral finished firmly, spreading its wings out dramatically.

* * *

**Whooo that was long! Did anyone catch that reference to Bioshock? But anyway, I'm less than pleased with this chapter, so I gotta go back and edit a bunch of crap, it seems. Also you'll see what Zelda heard from the fairy next chapter. It'll only be a few moments before she says it anyways.**

**A big thanks to Dragonspirit996, yourworldismine, jacobo136, BrandonBGamer, Midna18, Rainpelt the Doctor, ChangelingRin, and Milton the Blight Lord for reviewing!**

**Dragonspirit996: Heh heh, tis a secret to everybody :D But don't worry though, the Zora's will be fine. Just not for now *snickers***

**yourworldismine: Wolf Link is always fun to read, isn't it? And yes, I'm looking forward to that moment as well~**

**jacobo136: Sorry if it was unclear, but I'm glad you realized, lol. And I've got some interesting ideas planned for the dimension things, so I hope you'll look forward to them!**

**BrandonBGamer: That sounds like an interesting idea, though I would have no idea how to link together Pokemon in all of this, but thanks anyway.**

**Midna18: *inhales and exhales deeply* ahhhh, there's nothing better than the smell of updated stories~! Hmmm, that's a difficult question, all of the Zelda games are so good though. I haven't played the adult timeline ones; Wind Waker and so on, but my favorite game is probably Majora's Mask. Twilight Princess's a great game, but I love the sense of freedom you have in MM, especially since you control time and all, (more so in the 3DS version), and the concept of using masks is so cool, it's a wonderful game really! (also pulverizing Majora with the Fierce Deity mask is sweet, lol) What's your favorite game? (also anyone can answer if they want, this is just a general question)**

**Rainpelt the Doctor: Haha, I forget what I say all the time, but thanks! **

**ChangelingRin: Indeed, quite a fail in the stone's part. And thank you very much! Your review had me twirling around my room like a crazed crack-addict, lol. I'm elated that you think that, and yeah, Wolf Link will definitely make a 'surprise' appearance~ thanks!**

**Milton the Blight Lord: Thank you very much!**

**Thanks to everyone that left a follow/favorite/review! You guys are the bomb!**

**Doodle**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey yo guys I got a Tumblr! Which probably explains why I haven't been doing anything productive in the last few days. (My url is doodleladle btw, and I usually post art there).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

The Thestral eyed the two Hylians with intelligent eyes, the other horses behind it nickering softly. _Go on then, the night is yours. _

Link took a deep breath, sucking it in through his nose and exhaling out of his mouth. "You say you've lived that long; can you really give us an answer as to why we're here?"

_It is no simple answer. Many reasons pushed you to our world, many of which even we cannot name. _

Link's cheek twitched. "Then can you give us one?"

_You are here not because destiny wills for your presence, _the Thestral said cautiously. _The children of the skull do not have motives; one has clearly been driven to have crossed planes. _

"Children of the skull?" frowned Link.

The Thestral shook its head. _That is an answer you must seek for yourself, young hero. Princess Wisdom over there should be able to help. _

Link looked over at Zelda, whose delicately raised shoulders indicated her confusion as well.

"If nothing answers the question of our being here, then how did we die?" asked Zelda, a quiver in her voice as she finished her sentence.

_Your deaths…_the Thestral paused, a hard glint in its bright charcoal orbs. _I would assume you did not go down easily, both of you. _

Link's hand twitched nervously, his gut clenching with turmoil as he waited with bated breath.

_The hands of the wizards are the most likely of culprits, _the Thestral said solemnly, bowing its head.

Link's eyes widened, and he felt his hands clench into a fist. "Wizards…"

_Yes, the very same which you learned with, befriended, and trusted. Their ancestors were foolhardy, brash, but they learned from their mistakes, and the slate was wiped clean. _The Thestral turned its cold stare onto Zelda, who squared her shoulders and tilted her chin up. _You remember right? The words of the yellow fairy. _

She flinched, but her composure was quickly regained. "T-time is out of joint."

_The words of classic literature. How fitting it applies to here, _the Thestral commented wryly.

"What does that mean?" asked Link, the desperation in his voice almost completely taking over.

_It means exactly what it means. Your dimension has fallen out of place with the passage of time. It is no longer in sync with the others. _

"By others, you mean…" Link trailed off, his curiosity mingling with his fear.

_There are three lands bound to each other. One of light, one of shadow, and one just in between, _the Thestral explained, its age spilling into its voice. _I take it that you can figure those out. _

"Hyrule, the Twilight Realm, and…earth," Zelda murmured, grasping her shoulders with trembling hands.

The Thestral dipped its head. _Indeed. _

"But what caused Hyrule to fall out of the course of time?" blurted out Link.

The Thestral turned to look at him again, blinking slowly. _It was a chain of events, which even we did not see properly. After all, we did not originate from this world either. _

"What do you mean by that?" Zelda asked carefully.

The Thestral let out a dry, amused snort. _There were many more before you to have crossed planes, young ones. During the event that left Hyrule out of the loop, we were brought over here against our will. _

_ Our home was what you could call the Twilight Realm. _

[xxxxxxx]

Link felt his throat tighten uncomfortably, and his eyes widened with shock. "S-so, you've never been able to go back…"

The Thestral shook its head forlornly, its bristly mane following its movement. _We've tried, but each attempt resulted in failure. Magic has never been our species' strong point after all. _

Zelda's eyes glistened. "You said you were brought here during the event that felled Hyrule, but it seems like you bear some knowledge of its perpetrators."

_Ah, _the Thestral sighed. _Yes, the very ones that started it all. _

_ The wizards that tried to invade Hyrule. _

[xxxxxx]

_The three worlds were never supposed to meet. They were mirrors; you may look, but not touch. _

A different Thestral took over after the first one paused. _About a millennium ago, everything changed. It's unclear as to how the wizards discovered the opening leading to the adjacent worlds, but it was a time of greed and poverty, and that was enough for them to venture into the unknown. _

"S-so we are from a t-thousand years ago?" Link stuttered with disbelief.

The Thestral nodded. _During the middle of invasion, we were transported from the Twilight Realm, and brought over here. We don't know why, but we assume it was for war. _

"How…how did it go? What happened?" said Zelda, her eyes wide.

The Thestral shook its head, eyes closed. _Not well. We don't know what happened in Hyrule, but the Twilight Realm was mostly left alone. The wizards retreated, and the incident was forcibly forgotten. _

_ Any memories or text regard that incident had been completely vanished. _

Link shut his eyes, taking in the information with almost painfully deep breaths. "T-then that book we found in the library…"

"Yeah," Zelda mumbled.

_But, _the Thestral said finally, a hint of triumph in its voice. _The wizards only thought humans were capable of retaining information. _

Link's head snapped up. "The beasts!"

A small smile grew on his lips, an unfamiliar feeling after a night filled with somberness.

_Look to them for aid, _the Thestral advised with a swish of its tail. It turned its head towards the other herd members, and nodded. _We must go now. Night is falling. Seek out the Ministry, and take note of the fairies, they will help you as well. _

It, along with the other Thestrals, ambled out of the clearing and disappeared into the blankets of darkness.

There was silence, but Link quickly broke it with a heavy sigh. "I didn't think it would be so complicated." He ran a hand through his hair, which he noted was slightly damp with sweat. Odd, seeing as the forest insulated the cold air rather well. He heard Zelda let out a noncommittal hum.

"Shall we head back, then?" suggested Zelda, her usual light and airy voice now weighed down with the burden of stress and nerves.

"Sure," Link replied, turning to face the direction in which they had come from.

They backtracked towards the entrance of the dark woods, their movements stiff as they watched for the other creatures that belonged here. Link found himself tensing up with each crunch of the leaves, and every tree he had ingrained from memory they passed lessened the worry rising in his gut. The castle was finally coming into sight, and Link looked up to see that the sun was peaking gently over the horizon, casting placid rays of light and warmth over the structure.

Link stopped just outside of the stone walls, and looked to Zelda. "So how are you getting back inside?"

She grinned, holding up a green crystal from the depths of her dark robe. "Farore's Wind."

Link blinked. "Since when did you get that?"

She scoffed. "I've had it since even back in Hyrule. It was given to me when I was young, by my instructor."

"Oh," said Link, smiling softly. "I heard the Hero of Time used it on his quest."

"He did," Zelda nodded. She then whirled around and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face gently into his shoulder. It was not after a second that she released him, grasping her crystal tightly. "See you at breakfast then. Try to get some sleep." With a swirl of green, she was gone.

Link almost choked. Taking a moment to get himself together, he reentered the castle with pink dusting his cheeks. He slinked through the hallways, sticking close to the walls as he relied on his sharp ears to detect any footsteps near him.

He quickly made his way back up towards the Gryffindor tower, and climbed up the stairs to their dorms. This time, he was thankful that none of the others were awake, and slipped underneath his covers unnoticed.

For once, Link actually fell tired, and he let out a yawn, burrowing even deeper into the comfy covers. It was not long until he slipped into the darkness.

* * *

Zelda awoke to the sound of hushed whispers and chatter, sitting up slowly as her vision focused in on her surroundings. She combed her fingers groggily through her tangled hair, messed up from the excursion from the previous night.

"Oh," said Padma warmly, straightening her Ravenclaw robes. "Good morning."

Zelda nodded to her, blinking rapidly as sunlight flooded the room. "G'morning," she slurred.

"Today's the latest you've gotten up in a while," commented Padma brightly, now plumping up her pillow in her daily bed-making ritual.

"I couldn't sleep last night," answered Zelda. She swept out of bed, the chilly morning air leaving goosebumps dotting her skin. She silently dug through her trunk, setting today's clothes gently on the bed.

"You weren't in bed last night," Amy, a blonde fifth year stated calmly, giving Zelda a knowing look. Zelda froze, her arms lodging in place over the lock of her trunk. Other than that, Zelda's facial features remained passive, and she gazed at the girl with blank eyes.

"Ah, I went down to the common room to read. I didn't want to wake you guys up with the light," she explained. Still observing the other three girls, Zelda put on her clothes quickly, and snapped her luggage shut with a 'clap'.

"Suuuure," Miki, a Japanese girl with short black hair teased, her eyes alight with playfulness. "And you don't sit with us at all; you're always with the Gryffindors…" Her tone was light and joking, but Zelda couldn't help but feel guilty at the thought of always ditching them.

"It's to sit with Link, right?" said Padma, crossing her arms with a smirk. "I don't blame you, he's quite the looker."

Zelda blushed, feeling the heat rush to the tip of her ears. She swept her hair over them, glad that human ears were easily covered. "We've been friends for a long time, and we're good friends with Harry and the others."

Amy let out a chuckle, and nodded. "Sure, sure, let's go. You guys ready?"

* * *

Link clutched at his blankets, staring owlishly at the ceiling as the morning hustle and bustle happened around him.

Harry stared at him, a sigh on his face. "You should probably get up."

Link didn't answer, last night's event still repeating over and over again in his head, and his fingers tightened over the sheets. The feeling of Zelda pressed against him…he let out a small squeal of delight, bringing the blankets up to cover his face.

His roommates exchanged curious looks.

"I think Link's gone mad," whispered Neville, still in the process of pulling his sweater over his head.

"I resent that!" Link shouted, sitting up to glare at them. The fake anger melted off his face, and he slipped out of bed with unusual excitement in his bones.

"Y-you heard that?" squeaked Neville, looking shocked.

Link nodded, tapping his ears. "Yep, they're quite alright, if I do say so myself."

He got dressed with double his usual morning speed, and stood by the door, tapping his feet expectantly as he waited for the others.

"Man, you're actually lucid for once," commented Harry wryly, yanking on his socks.

Link glowered at him cheerfully, opting to cross his arms instead of respond. He leaned against the wall, watching the other boys finish their morning routine.

"Geez, you're terrible in the morning," Link mocked, his lips quirked upwards as they headed down the tower. Four playful scowls were sent his way, and he grinned.

* * *

Zelda sat down at the Gryffindor table, waving her roommates goodbye, and poured herself a cup of pumpkin juice. She sipped at it daintily for a minute, her mind wandering blankly as she waited for Link and the others.

"Hello," greeted an amiable voice. Zelda turned and saw a dark-skinned girl smiling softly at her, and she nodded in response.

"Good morning."

"You usually sit with Harry right?" asked the girl, Angelina, Zelda remembered. The girl's voice darkened as she mentioned Harry's name, and Zelda winced inwardly at the future she was sure would be waiting for the boy.

"Yeah," replied Zelda. "I take it that it's concerning Quidditch and his detention."

Angelina scowled, and nodded briskly. "The fool landed himself another week, and now he's missing practice!"

Zelda didn't answer, only nodding slightly in sympathy.

"-Oh look." Angelina paused in her tirade, and directed her eyes onto her target. "There he is." The girl march up to Harry, murder in her eyes, and cornered him. Link trailed behind the condemned boy, and edged around the scene to sit with Zelda.

"Poor kid," muttered Link, reaching forward to grab a goblet. He filled it with coffee and watched with amusement as Harry got his ears gnawed off.

The exchange between the two was soon drawing attention from around the hall, and it was Professor McGonagall that had to assuage Angelina's rant. The professor was not easy-going when she heard about Harry's extra week of detention with the toad, and took away another five points.

Harry sat down in his seat sullenly, his eyebrows creased to knit together an expression of annoyance and irritation. He angrily shoved spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth, his eyes shut.

"She's taking points away from Gryffindor 'cause I'm sitting with the toad getting my hand sliced open every night," Harry seethed, his knuckles turning white as they tightened around his spoon. "How is that fair? How?"

"I know," said Ron sympathetically, patting Harry's shoulder consolingly.

"Though I would prefer if she didn't deduct points from our house," began Hermione. "I think you should try to refrain from losing your temper with Professor Umbridge."

"You'd be doing exactly what Umbridge wants," said Zelda, her finger tapping the edge of her empty plate idly. Link nodded, and that was the end of the breakfast.

Classes proceeded normally throughout the day, and at last it was Transfiguration, the period where Umbridge would sit in. Zelda felt giddy with uncharacteristic glee at the thought of Professor McGonagall putting the Ministry official back in her place.

She walked in with Link at her side, and sat down at their usual seats. Zelda tilted her head to the side to see that Umbridge was already sitting near the corner, quill tapping the side of her plump cheek.

Zelda smiled. _This shall be interesting._

* * *

**This is probably like a week over my usual update time, and for that, I am terribly sorry. I'll try to update as soon as I can, but I've got a lot of crap this and next week, and I've recently purchases Lightning's Return, so that will also take up a lot of my time. Also, Zelda's OC roommates (beside Padma) aren't really important, I just wanted to show her interacting with some of her housemates, and stuff. Also, if you see any holes in the explanation, feel free to tell me, I live in fear of those.**

**A big thanks to Milton the Blight Lord, Isli, ChangelingRin, BrandonBGamer, DragonSpirit996, joshhlover, Midna18, yourworldismine, and TriforceOfDerp for reviewing! **

**Milton the Blight Lord: Tingle's so weird I love him. And Majora's Mask is the bomb diggity, have fun with it!**

**Isli: Yes, that was Tingle :D and that's completely fine, though I appreciate it a lot. THANK YOU SO MUCH, you don't know how happy that makes me feel, you little cinnamon roll, XD**

**ChangelingRin: I dunno about Link's potty mouth, I've always pictured Link to be a sweet little pumpkin, but when crap happens, like he falls into lava or gets sliced with sharp stuff, the bad words sorta just accumulate, and now he uses them a bit more loosely, idk. The rest of the story with Tatl will have to wait for now, and TINGLE HELL YEAH **

**DragonSpirit996: I swear everyone is looking forward to that part, but yeah, don't worry, it'll happen soon enough. **

**BrandonBGamer: Still wouldn't know how to tie together Pokemon in with all this, but Palkia being here would be super bad-ass**

**joshhlover: The Thestrals are freakin' awesome indeed. And yeah, I wanted to contrast Hyrule with Earth, and those things would be easy tools to use for depicting the differences. And you're right, I could've added more to the teasing part, and I do feel bad for cutting out Hermione's showdown with Umbridge, but I didn't want to go word for word from the book. But thanks!**

**yourworldismine: Here are part of the answers, I guess. And thanks so much! I look forward to your feedback next time too!**

**Midna18: Yeah, Twilight Princess is the second Zelda game I've played, and it will always hold a special spot in my heart (how sappy). MM does feel a bit pressurized with just three days, but there are so many things to do with the three days that sometimes I forget (and I lose all of my items after spamming A). ALBW is also a cool game, and I hope you had fun with it! I don't have a WiiU either, but I'm planning on getting one sometime next year (I bought too many games and consoles this year). Let's see, I started LoZ quite recently actually, and I think I began obsessing over it last year. I've played Oracle of Seasons when I was like five, but I really didn't get what it was, or that it was a Zelda game, so yeah, I ended up playing almost all of the Zelda games in a single year, haha. (Man, what a long response)**

**TriforceOfDerp: I empathize with your enthusiasm about Wolf Link, but it will still be a couple of chapters before his 'accidental' appearance, so bear with me please, and yeah, I definitely agree with your suggestion!**

**Thanks to everyone that left a review/favorite/follow for this story! You guys keep me going!**

**Doodle**


	18. Chapter 18

**Man I've got to start getting it together…but everything keeps on distracting me. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but the stupid writer's block isn't allowing me to connect my story together, like I have the ending planned out, but how I actually tie everything together is unknown. Sorry if this is a little rushed too, I was in a hurry.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Link let out a loud yawn as he melted onto an armchair, flanked by Hermione and Ron as they waited for Harry to return from another night of detention with Umbridge. It was the day after his and Zelda's excursion in the woods, and it was after dinner that Ron and Hermione had sought him out to wait in the common room after eating.

"So what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Link asked, almost lazily.

"It mostly involves Harry, so we'll explain once he gets here," Hermione explained sparingly, flipping open the book resting on her lap as she spoke.

Link only nodded, though curiosity propped his eyelids up, and he blinked away the almost unfamiliar feeling of drowsiness. He didn't know how long they sat there, but it felt like an eternity when he saw the familiar mop of black locks poke in through the Fat Lady's painting.

Link gave a small wave, and let out a quiet noise which could be interpreted as a greeting.

Harry looked surprised to see the common room not empty, but his expression was worn away quickly as he shot the three tired smiles. Harry fell into the armchair next to Ron, and rubbed his hand methodically.

"What're you all doing here?" he asked.

"Beats me," Link grumbled.

Ron laughed, and wasted no time launching into an explanation. "'Mione and I have an idea."

"Yeah, and?" Harry said warily.

"There's nothing we can do to about Umbridge, so our education in DADA is set to be shabby," Hermione said. "With everything that's going on and all, I think it's time that we pick up the baton, and-"

"-teach ourselves!" Ron finished excitedly.

Link raised an eyebrow. "How are you going to do that?"

"Easy," Hermione answered, as if it was clear as glass. "Harry will teach us."

Said boy sputtered, his eyes wide. "W-what?! I can't teach! I'm still a student!" he exclaimed loudly.

Ron smirked. "Think about all of your accomplishments!"

Hermione nodded vehemently, folding her arms across her chest. "Now don't look so modest. You've been doing great things ever since you stepped into this school. Heck, in your first year, you took down Quirrel, who had Y-you-know-who on the back of his head."

"I couldn't have been able to get there if you guys didn't help!" The two ignored him, Ron waving his hand dismissively at Harry's interjection.

"In your second year, you slayed the Basilisk after opening the Chamber of Secrets," Ron continued, smirk growing wider as they tacked on deed after deed.

"You fought off a hundred dementors in our third year, and scared away Peter Pettigrew," listed Hermione, now grinning.

Harry scowled at the mention of the dementors. "There wasn't a hundred."

The two brushed that aside, and continued as if not hearing him.

"And in your fourth year…" they said together in a sing-song voice.

"You held off-"

"Voldemort!" Link chimed in, not really sure if it really was Voldemort. He inwardly shrugged; he wasn't there, so he wouldn't know.

"But I had help nearly every time!" Harry yelled. "You guys did just as much as me!"

"Heh, _nearly_ every time," scoffed Link, "I take it that you still did a lot by yourself."

Harry blushed, though he seemed no less calm. "You know I wouldn't be able to do it. What advantage do I have in DADA anyway?"

"Your scores were always higher than mine in that class," Hermione pointed out flatly. "In our third year with Lupin, you were above me."

Harry was slack-jawed, and his mouth opened and closed, making no noise.

Hermione clapped her hands together, a satisfied smile now planted on her lips. "Well, it's settled then. Harry, think it over, please."

Harry gave a slight nod, still looking rather reluctant, and also slightly irritated. "…I'll think about it."

"Great," said Ron happily, now turning to look at Link. "What about you, Link? You in?"

Link shrugged. "Sure, though magic isn't really my strong point. You could say I'm more involved with physical activities."

At this, Hermione started, an epiphany dancing brightly in her eyes. "Oh! That reminds me. Us wizards rely heavily on our magic, and there's been one too many times where are wands have been cast away. Link, we need not only to train our magical abilities, but also our physical ones too."

Link grinned wolfishly, and there was no need to clarify his answer with words. _I'm in. _

* * *

The next morning, Link relayed last night's discussion to Zelda, who had looked supportive of the idea. Though the plan may yield many problems, she had agreed to join, wishing to further her knowledge of the world's magic, and maybe even to share her own to the students.

Zelda, always thinking of every possible mishap that could happen, Link thought as he smiled to himself. He would handle physical exercise, while Zelda would take on its magical counterpart.

[xxxxx]

Link hadn't heard much about Harry's little extra class until about two weeks after their late night conference in the common room. Harry had still been pretty unenthusiastic about the whole thing, though Link could tell the heavy persuasions from Ron and Hermione were finally pulling through.

There was to be a meeting in Hogsmeade, a small village near the castle that opened to the students of Hogwarts only after October.

"These wizards seem to be pretty enraptured with hogs," Zelda had mused humorously when she had learnt of the place.

All students interested in the "study group" were to congregate at the Boar's Head, a tavern located near the edge of the village, as instructed by Hermione.

Link and Zelda strolled down the path, amazed at the bustling stores filled with the excited air of teenagers, watching as people haggled and bartered in the chill, crispy air. The Boar's Head was coming into view, a decrepit structure with students trickling here and there. All of which were probably those interested with Hermione and Ron's proposal.

"We're here, then," Link said finally, coming to a stop outside the tavern, eyeing the sign with an appraising look. They stepped in through the door, their feet eliciting creaky groans from underneath the loose wooden boards. There in the center of the establishment, was a group of students mostly made up of fifth years, some sitting at the bar, others loitering around near the walls.

Catching sight of the two transfers, Hermione perked up, and called them over. Link and Zelda made their way over to her leisurely, curious to see how everything was working out.

"Harry has yet to arrive," Hermione was saying, a clipboard in one hand, a quill in the other. "I think he should be here any minute though."

Speak of the devil, Link thought as his ears picked up the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by heavy footsteps. He grinned to himself; even through something simple as moving feet, Harry could convey how reluctant he was to be here.

"Looks like he's here," said Link brightly, tapping Hermione on the shoulder, snapping her out of whatever daze of concentration the bushy haired girl was in.

"Oh," Hermione said with a smile. She walked over to him, quick to engage him in conversation. Not a second later, Ron walked in, looking slightly miffed.

"You know, despite how unwilling you seem to be here, you still walked pretty darn fast," grumbled the red head, leveling Harry with a pointed stare, who shrugged, looking dismissive.

"Anyway," Hermione said, clapping them both on the shoulder. "We should start."

* * *

Hermione stood in the center of the group, who was mostly seated in seats that were drawn up to face the front. Still holding onto the clipboard, she addressed the group, speaking in a clear and brusque tone.

"So you all know why we're gathered here, yes?"

There was a quiet chorus of affirmatives, and she gave a satisfied nod. Hermione folded her arms, her clipboard resting gently on her hip as it dangled loosely in her fingertips.

"Then, you all know that Umbridge is entirely incompetent, and we won't be learning anything useful anytime soon."

Some students conveyed their disdain of the professor with a few insults, both either quietly muttered, or yelled enthusiastically. After the noise died down, Ron got up from where he stood, and beckoned at Harry to do the same. The black haired boy pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning on, his eyebrows furrowed together in what Link could only describe as averseness.

The trio was now standing near the front, with Hermione scanning the small crowd with sharp eyes, Ron clearing his throat, and Harry shuffling his feet awkwardly, averting his eyes towards the floor.

Ron took a deep breath, releasing it with a puff, and eyed his fellow school mates. "Well-er, we had an idea that-that we could learn ourselves, help each other out. Umbridge will get us nowhere, so we thought we would take matters into our own hands."

A couple of hearty cheers of "hear hear" rang throughout the bar, and Link suppressed a grin when he saw the old bartending shoot them a filthy look as he wiped the dirty glasses furiously.

"So, I bet you want to pass your O.W.L.s too, huh," a kid called out, and Hermione nodded.

"Of course," she answered simply. "But that's not the only concern. We want more than that. We want to be trained properly, especially since...you-know-er, Lord Voldemort is back."

An audible cringe sounded from the group, and Link scoffed internally when his ears picked up the quiet gasps that instantly buried itself into the silence. There were even a few shrieks, and a kid had spilled butterbeer over himself.

Link sighed, and he lazily folded his arms across his chest. His eyes shifted from around the room, and they landed on Harry, who looked surprised, but definitely proud at Hermione, who bit her lip nervously.

"But, we have a plan," continued Hermione. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to-"

"Where's the proof?" demanded a blond Hufflepuff. "Where's the proof that you-know-who is back?"

"Dumbledore," began Hermione. "Dumbledore believes that-"

The boy cut her off, and jerked his head over to Harry, who blinked. "No, you mean Dumbledore believes _him_."

"Who are you?" Ron asked rather rudely, staring down the blonde Hufflepuff.

"Zacharias Smith," the boy answered roughly, gazing back at the Weasley almost defiantly.

"Well, that's not really what this meeting's about-" Hermione said uneasily,

"It's fine," Harry cut in swiftly, looking as though he had had a sudden epiphany dawn on him. Not surprising, Link thought. Some of them probably showed up just to hear Harry's story firsthand. The kid, Zacharias was his name, continued to launch question after question, much to Harry's discomfort, who retaliated with sharp responses that avoided the whole truth.

A simple question was all that it took to disrupt the argument. "Is it true that you can produce a patronus?" A girl, seated near the back, spoke up.

Harry turned to stare at her, looking confused.

"Can you produce a patronus, as in a corporeal patronus?" the girl repeated patiently.

The words seemed to finally register in Harry's brain, and he nodded. "A stag," he said.

The girl looked impressed. "I'm Susan Bones by the way. You may know my auntie, Madam Bones. She works in the Ministry."

A look of recognition crossed Harry's face, and he smiled. "Ah, I know her! She helped me in the trial."

Other students took this as a cue to satisfy their own curiosity, and soon, more questions were headed in Harry's direction. This time though, they were amicable.

Link smirked from where he and Zelda stood against the wall. _Look at this loser charming every single one of them. _Then he blinked, feeling the unfamiliar slowly trickle away, and he shook his head, clearing out his mind. That didn't seem like him at all…

The meeting proceeded slowly as questions and answers were traded back and forth throughout the crowd, and soon Hermione was finishing with a few closing lines.

"So we've sorted out something akin to a schedule," she said as she jotted down lines on the clipboard. "And it won't clash with Quidditch," she added hastily, catching the questioning gaze of Angelina, who nodded in return.

Hermione continued. "But we need to figure out a place where all of us can meet and practice…"

"How about the library? It should be large enough…" Neville suggested quietly, and Hermione looked thoughtful as she mulled over the idea.

"That's not a bad idea, but I don't think Madam Pinch will be too pleased with us tearing up the place with misfired spells and such," Hermione said as she tapped the tip of the pencil to her chin.

Neville's shoulders drooped, but he nodded.

"What about the Quidditch field?" said Ron, stepping back to lean against the bar counter.

Angelina shook her head. "Us and the other teams all have it booked, and it's too conspicuous."

Ron shrugged. "Oh well, whatever."

There were suddenly drapes of silence that fell over the group, who looked as though they were deep in thought. Not a minute passed, and Harry sprung up, quickly gathering everyone's attention.

"How about an unused classroom?" One girl near the back asked.

"That could work," answered Hermione. "Professor McGonagall might let us borrow hers when there's no class."

There was a murmur of assent through the students, and an unused classroom seemed like a temporary unanimous agreement.

"There are still a lot of things we need to discuss, and many things are still up for change," Hermione reminded the group, who looked like they were prepared to leave. "And remember, what we said here, stays here. Also, I think it would be easier to keep track of everybody if we all signed our names here." She handed Harry the clipboard, and he scribbled down his name before handing it to Ron next to him.

Link received the board after the first row of students were done, and scratched out his name messily, and passed the paper to Zelda.

"Um," said a boy, his name was Ernie something, Link remembered. "What do we do if Umbridge or someone finds out-?"

The clipboard was now safely tuck back into Hermione's arms, and scoff fell through her lips. "You honestly believe that I would just leave the list lying around huh?"

Ernie looked flustered. "N-no, but-"

"Don't worry," Ron cut in. "'Mione's got it down." And the conversation was left at that.

"Well, George and I have some more shopping to do," Fred piped up as he and his twin were stepping towards the door. "See ya folks later."

With the twins gone, and the door open a crack, other students took this as an 'okay' to leave, and the group trickled away until it was just the few people left in the tavern.

Hermione shuffled her bag, and pulled it up onto her shoulder. "You guys can leave if you want, we've still got time in the village."

"Sure, if you say so then," said Link casually.

Zelda nodded. "If you need anything, we'll be-"

"-somewhere," Link interjected, and they were out the door.

* * *

Link and Zelda explored the rest of the village that day, and as the sky darkened gently, they kept up a quiet conversation.

"So how are you doing so far?" asked Link, gazing at the palette of orange, brown, and yellow in the trees.

Zelda looked up, and immediately understood. "I'm managing fairly well. Though I haven't slept for the past week."

"Hmm, same," Link grunted, averting his eyes down to his feet as Zelda cast her eyes up to study his face.

"The shadows underneath your eyes match with mine," she joked lightly, tracing a finger underneath her own eye. Link chuckled, and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"If we keep getting skinnier, we'll be a pair of matching skeletons," Link grinned morbidly.

Zelda let out a dry laugh, and the rest of the walk to the castle was spent in silence.

* * *

**Okay, I'm not very pleased with this chapter, so I'll go back and make it better later. And also, I will be going to Japan over the summer as an exchange student, so updates may take a while during the middle of it, so I must apologize in advance. I should be able to update once more before I leave though, but finals are coming up and I haven't studied a bit.**

**Thanks to Rainpelt the Doctor, TriforceofDerp, Ennael, KitKat1225, MissQuestions-LaAmazingNabo, Guest, Midna18, DragonSpirit996, Isli, PrincessofHyrule, and Sianna Scale for the review! You guys make my day so much brighter XD **

**TriforceofDerp: My bad, my bad, and your love is appreciated, however violent your form of expressing it is lol**

**Ennael: I'm sorry, I don't speak French **

**KitKat1225: Thank you so much! I'm sorry my update was so late, and I hope you enjoy!**

**MissQuestions-LaAmazingNabo: Though they are every similar, I still think that Farore's Wind has slightly different magic properties than apparating, though I'm no scholar on magic, so I don't really know, sorry lol. And also, your realization was so spot on I really have no words to say, but not entirely, or I'll ruin the whole thing haha**

**Guest (april 27): Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked my little canon point with the Thestrals and the twilight realm. I thought they would suit each other pretty well :D **

**Midna18: Well, not all of them, though that'd be really hardcore if I did. I never finished ALLttP, and I've never touched the adult timeline (Wind Waker, etc.). And as for other games, I like Final Fantasy, Assassin's Creed, Pokemon, Harvest Moon, and much more!**

**Dragonspirit996: Thanks, I'm glad you like it!**

**Isli: Indeed, it is part of life (and every day in math class). And morning Link is the best! **

**Rainpelt the Doctor: It's been a while, hasn't it, I really must apologize, and I don't really have an excuse hehe. And though I have the event thought out already, I have no idea as to how I'm going to tie it in, but I'll figure it out eventually :D**

**Also a big thanks to everyone that left a favorite or follow! I didn't know my little derp story would get so popular XD**

**Doodle**


	19. Chapter 19

**Sdfasdkjfhsadf Japan is amazing and I'm sorry for my lack of updates!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Harry kept a watchful eye on the two transfers as they sat quietly through breakfast, careful not to draw their attention as he attended to his own food. They had seemed to grow more soft-spoken as the days progressed, Harry mused as he swallowed another mouthful.

_Their eyes have lost light, _Harry thought worriedly, looking up to draw another quick peek at the two, who were now engrossed in a conversation about Thestrals. Harry could barely hear what they were talking about, but he picked up a few words of 'home', 'Hyrule', and 'twilight.' Having heard about Link and Zelda's plight with their current state of non-living-ness, Harry had resolved to help as much as he could, though it all really depended on how willing to share the two were with their information.

Pushing forward his now empty plate, Harry was drawn into a conversation with Ron and Hermione, and not long after, their talk of their little 'study group' was interrupted by the rushing forward of students as they hurried out of the Great Hall.

Ron groaned. "Guess it's time to go to class, huh. Starting off the day with double Snape, wonderful."

Harry mimicked Ron's grimace, and gently tapped on Link's shoulder. "C'mon, we gotta go."

"Huh? Oh, I'm coming," said Link, standing up as he gave Zelda a nod, who smiled tiredly back.

The trio and Link weaved their way through the breakfast masses, and walked slowly down towards the dungeons. It was quiet, but it was to be expected. It was a Monday after all. As they continued at their turtle-like pace, the natural sunlight flooding from the windows shifted to the dank, firelight of the torches that lined the dark stone walls. Using the dimness to his advantage, Harry cast his eyes onto the transfer's face, slightly surprised at Link's grim expression. Link's eyes, which usually glowed with an iridescent feel to them, were much duller than what Harry remembered when they first met. They still held an unnatural feeling to them, but Harry could tell how a part of the light had been lost.

The rusty wooden door to Snape's classroom was coming into view, and the familiar sinking feeling in Harry's stomach resurfaced as he stepped in, aware of the distasteful glare being directed at him from the professor's direction.

Class passed through uneventfully, the usual monochromatic lessons dulling Harry's mind, and he sat through the lecture in a daze. When Snape finished with the last word of his usual condescending speech, Harry took that as a cue to pack up his things, and soon after, the trio and Link were padding out of the dungeons looking very drowsy, with the exception of Hermione.

Link yawned. "How much more boring could he have made the lesson?"

"I dunno," Ron muttered darkly, "and I don't want to."

The rest of the classes followed shortly after, and Harry could easily see the energy being drained from his fellow transfer school mates. At dinner, Link and Zelda sat listlessly as the students excited dinnertime chatter wafted around them, and Harry frowned in concern.

"You guys alright?" asked Harry, snapping the two out of their reverie.

Link blinked rapidly, and he adjusted his gaze onto the black haired boy. "W-what? Yeah, I'm great. Why do you ask?"

Harry shrugged. "No reason, you guys seemed really out of it though."

He didn't miss the look the two exchanged, noting the slight hint of worry dotting both of their expressions. Harry didn't mention it though, even if both Ron and Hermione were aware of the transfer's situation. He didn't want to pressure them, and make them feel even more uncomfortable.

Dinner passed on like any other night, with Link and Zelda not touching any of the piles of food laden out in front of them. And as they were walking back to their dorms from the Great Hall, Ron spoke up curiously,

"Blimey, you guys don't even eat anymore! How are you getting through the day?" It was genuine curiosity and concern, but Harry saw the slight wince as both the transfers registered the ginger's words.

Link let out a dry chuckle. "Do dead people need to eat?"

Ron blinked. "No…?"

"Then there you have it," Link said, gesturing melodramatically with his hand. "It won't stay down. The food, that is."

Ron blanched. "Oh bloody hell mate, that's terrible!"

Hermione nodded, self-consciously folding her arms over her stomach. "I'm so sorry."

"No, no, it's fine," Zelda answered dismally, though her eyes twinkled at the concern her friends were showing.

"Anyway," Link said evasively. "We should get to class. What do we have next again?"

Zelda sighed. "You really should be able to know what classes you have by now, Link. It's been what, more than a month of school?"

"Haha, my bad," Link smiled sheepishly, though it was obvious that he was glad that the conversation had shifted onto something less depressing.

Like any other day of the week, the students slogged through their schedules, until they reached Care of Magical Creatures, with Hagrid. The giant man had been back for only a couple of days, bruised and battered, with little cuts adorning almost every inch of exposed skin. Harry and his friends had gone to see him one night, and was greeted by the groundskeeper pressing a block of cold meat to his face. Since then, Harry had yet to properly speak to his giant friend, and he was actually looking forward to class today.

"Hey, you hear?" asked Ron, prodding Harry in the arm. "Seamus told me Umbridge's sitting in on Hagrid's class."

Harry choked. "But it's his first class since he got back! Give him a break…"

Worry bit at his heart as they trekked the familiar path to Hagrid's "classroom," which was really just the grassy patch of earth located a bit from the forest, close to the giant man's crusty cabin. Though he was glad that his friend was back, albeit covered in wounds that clawed at Harry's curiosity, Harry could probably find himself missing Professor Grubbly-Plank's off the textbook lessons, as they provided a sense of normality amongst all the chaos that was going on in the castle. Don't get him wrong, Harry loved Hagrid's unconventional lessons, but sometimes the giant man took it to the extremes, probably shaving off a few years of Harry's life.

"So what's Hagrid like? You guys mentioned him in the beginning of the year, and I know he's the groundskeeper," Zelda stated, looking thoughtful as they walked, the group moving in somewhat of a cluster as to not block the hallways instead of walking in a horizontal line.

Link knocked his fist into an outstretched palm, as if just remembering something. "Oh yeah! Big heart and big size, something like that, right?"

Hermione giggled. "Sure. He's a kind man, though his tendency to mess up goes eye to eye with his kindness."

"Sounds like a certain person I know," Link chuckled, thinking fondly of Fado, who let more goats escape than there were total on the farm.

"Not to mention that he's giant!" Ron added in excitedly.

With the new information on the new professor stocked and stored in his mind, Link headed towards the Care of Magical Creatures class with a new spring in his step.

_Beasts and other weird creatures, huh? I think I'm going to enjoy this class, _Link thought with a grin. Zelda eyed him as his cheeks pulled back to reveal teeth, and gently poked his cheek.

"What are you grinning about?" she asked, amused as he turned to face her.

"Nothing much. I just have a good feeling about this class."

* * *

Link strolled breezily onto the tufty grass, enjoying the comforting scents of nature that drifted around him. He took note that most of the Slytherins had already arrived, and he grouched internally that it was them he had to share a class with and not the Ravenclaws, something Zelda had remembered last minute before scampering off in the other direction. Link and the trio approached the group, earning a couple of nods and 'hellos,' mostly of which were directed at Harry, Ron, or Hermione.

As they situated themselves into the grass, a couple of other students trickled in, and a sudden booming voice permeated the air. Link jumped, having not noticed the large, bushy-bearded man standing in the front.

"Welcome back! It's good ta' see yer' faces again!" Hagrid boomed happily, shifting his eyes over the small group, a grin blossoming under his thick facial hair. The man cast his eyes excitedly over the students, the smile on his face growing as he caught Harry's eye, though there was a look of slight reluctance buried deep within the giant man's face.

Link blinked, tilting his head minimally as he caught the exchange between student and teacher, but quickly shook off his confusion as Hagrid shifted his eyes onto Link. The transfer offered a crooked grin, exposing one of his sharp canines, and nodded politely at the teacher, who returned the gesture in greeting.

Then came a high-pitched, familiar annoying cough, and Link groaned, refusing to turn his head to look at where the sound came from, whereas the rest of the class had directed their attention on the pink-clad professor, who was strolling quickly towards the group.

"Hem hem," Umbridge repeated, her eyes traveling upwards to gaze at Hagrid, and a look of disdain immediately became present on her face. Link focused his ears towards the woman, and picked up the slight cluck of her tongue, one she kept out of sight of the students and teacher.

"Good day, uh…Professor Hagrid," she sniffed, clutching her clipboard to her chest.

Hagrid looked uncomfortable under the toad's heavy scrutinizing, but he replied with an awkward, "Uh, hello to you too, ma'am."

Umbridge arched an eyebrow, but scribbled onto her clipboard, nonetheless. "Please don't let me interrupt your class, professor. I'll only be judging your performance to see if you are suitable to remain as a professor in Hogwarts. Please continue."

Link scowled. Wow, way to lay it on him.

Hagrid nodded self-consciously, and turned his direction back onto the class, albeit with nervous sweat beginning to trail down his battered face.

"So, um, uh, o-our first class, uh we'll be starting with one of my favorites," Hagrid stuttered, eyeing Umbridge out of the corner of his eye every few seconds. He beckoned the class over with his hand, leading them into the forest, his head turning back every so often to make sure they were all present.

They followed Hagrid into a clearing, the sunlight shining onto the chalky green of the grass for once. The dark, ominous trees surrounded the patch of grass, almost as if creating a barrier between the world of light and dark, and Link, feeling a familiar presence hiding within the shadows, kept his eyes on the trees.

Having spaced out for almost the entirety of Hagrid's shaky lecture, Link was surprised to see the large man draw out a huge hunk of meat, and with a loud heave, throw it near the border between the clearing and the darkness.

When he heard the familiar hooves pound gently into the grass, Link let out a gasp, and his eyes quickly took in the charcoal bodies of the demonic horses.

_We don't appreciate you calling us demonic horses, you know_, one Thestral called out, and Link chuckled under his breath, drawing weird looks from the students standing next to him.

"Um, what are we supposed to be looking at?" Malfoy drawled, his bored eyes scanning the clearing, but to no avail.

Hagrid, with a proud look on his face, turned to platinum blond. "Why, can't you see 'em? There 'a couple of 'em standing right there."

The students murmured in confusion, looking back and forth between the empty clearing and their professor.

Finally, the Thestrals stepped out of the shadows, and padded forward towards the enticing piece of flesh laying on the ground. When they treaded into the sunlight, Link felt an uncomfortable prickle in his stomach, and his hand self-consciously rested on his torso. There was a strange tugging he felt in his limbs, but he quickly pushed aside the alien feelings.

To his right, Link heard a gasp escape Harry, and he followed his gaze forward until he met eye to eye with a Thestral. Link dipped his head, and the Thestral mirrored him, much to the confusion to the dark haired boy next to him.

There was simultaneous intake of breath as a Thestral tore into the meat, and ripped out a large chunk. The group stepped back, edging into the opposite end of the clearing, away from where the piece of meat was being ripped to pieces.

A few feet away from him, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were quietly chatting, their heads turning towards the horses every once in a while. And Link found solace in just watching the Thestrals eat, and completely disregarding whatever fearful chatter that had sprung up amongst the students.

"Those are Thestrals," Hagrid repeated, looking fondly at the dark horses. "They're carnivorous, and are mainly nocturnal, however there are a few cases where they'll come out in the day, like this one."

The class listened with rapturous attention, their eyes glued to the invisible force that was now cleaning up the bones of the carcass.

"They're invisible ta' most people," Hagrid stated, "but anyone's that's seen death will be able ta' see 'em." His eyes trailed over to Harry, whose face was covered in a look of shock. Actually, the whole class had eyed Harry with an expectant look, causing the dark haired boy to look away.

Hagrid rambled on, listing random facts as he stared at Umbridge nervously, who continued to look unimpressed as she jotted down the happenings of the class onto her ever-present clipboard.

_Twilight beast, _one Thestral called out, and Link's head jerked up. He immediately regretted the action, as the movement instantly brought a wave of painful ringing in his head. His mind swam; what was causing such a reaction?

_You've best move away from us, _the Thestral continued, a hint of worry and agitation lining its indistinguishable voice.

Link opened his mouth, but was met with a painful tugging of his spine, and his eyes widened. His discomfort didn't go unnoticed by the others, and he felt Harry's emerald green eyes fall onto him, an unspoken question on his lips.

"I'm fine," he grunted, a trickle of sweat coursing down his face, and he wiped it off gingerly. _"What do you mean?" _he gasped in his mind, looking at the equestrians.

The Thestral stomped its foot, and flapped its wings, the sound of rushing air catching the attention of most of the students, simultaneously drawing some of them away from Link.

_The creatures of Twilight are unable to exist in the world of light,_ the Thestral began hurriedly. _The sunlight harms our bodies, Twilight beast, and in order to maintain our forms outside the forest and in the day, we must exert our inner twilight. Of which is harming you right now, drawing on your shadow stone, as well as the remnants of twilight stuck in your body._

Link drew a breath, his shoulders stiffening as he registered the words. "Shadow stone," he murmured. Suddenly, his body was racked with pain, and he collapsed onto all fours, feeling the familiar ache as his bones were cracked and stretched into place.

"Whoa!" Harry cried, dropping down to his knees, hands tentatively outstretched towards his friend.

The Thestrals snorted in concern, and one of them had begun to tread closer towards the shape-shifting boy.

Link, in the final spurt of his transformation, let out a pained scream, and he felt his wolf skin completely cover him before collapsing onto the grass in fatigue. The Thestral padded up towards him, and nudged him gently with its snout, and Link licked the horse's mouth in response.

With Link's attention directed solely at the Thestral's show of concern, he had forgotten about the thirty or so students, the giant professor, and most of all, the pink toad.

* * *

**Whoa lots of stuff in this chappie. And forgive me for updating so late, since I was all caught up with stuff in Japan. I'll be going back to the US in August, so updates should take less time. Anyway, I don't have my book with me right now, so things might diverge from the canon a bit and happen in different orders (which is good, since I don't want to follow it word by word). **

**Thank you to everyone that left a review, follow, or favorite! You guys freakin' rock!**

**ChangelingRin: Haha that's no problem at all! You're not obligated to review, but thank you nonetheless. And yeah, I really didn't feel the need to include too much action in the last chapter, so it was mainly buildup. And thanks again!**

**Guest (Jun 5): Thank you so much! I've had lots of fun so far, and I hope I will for the rest of my stay as well!**

**Dragonspirit996: Great, because me too lol. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this one too!**

**Guest (Jun 18): I know, I can't wait either haha! Thank you much!**

**BrandonBGamer: Not a bad idea, but I would like for this to stay mainly TP, but thanks for your ideas!**

**Infinityworlds: Thank you so much! That little extra bit made me even happier, thanks again!**

**TriforceOfDerp: I've momentarily overcome writer's block, but I foresee it coming in the near future…and how could I have forgotten, you've included it into almost every review XD, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I really appreciate your enthusiasm! (But please note that I don't have much free time as an exchange student, and I want to spend as much time with my host family as possible, so updates might take a bit longer (~) sorry!)**

**Auzaraia: Thanks! I'll try to write as much as possible, and I'm loving Japan right now XD**

**SkyPirate0614: Thank you sooo much! I'll try my best!**

**pokemon- 35055: Then I hope you liked this one :D**

**I didn't edit this, so please inform me of any mistakes! Anyways, thank you so much for reading!**

**Doodle**


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